I Heard The World
by YamiPaladinofChaos
Summary: AU. A different world, a familiar war. Kururugi Suzaku wages a crusade against the Empire of Japan to free Brittania. Lelouch Lamperouge disguises himself in a mask to atone for a terrible crime. Kouzuki Kallen and her brother Naoto are the Japanese Empire's new hope. Shirley Fenette seeks vengeance for all she has lost. The future can only accept one vision of justice, my friend.
1. Chapter 1: The Sword In The Stone

In August of 2010 of the Brittanian calendar and the 10th year of the Kyoroku Era in the Japanese system, the Sacred Empire of Japan invaded the small island nation of Brittania. This was accomplished despite the powerful technology known as the Knightmare Frame, a mobile armor weapon of incredible military potential, which Brittania had developed and which had kept the independent nation safe for some time, for Japan wielded a much larger amount of the potent material Sakuradite that enhanced their own Knightmare Frame's power despite the Brittanian's more advanced Knightmares, and overwhelmed the Brittanian forces, nearly destroying the country until it surrendered, and became a colony underneath the Empire of Japan.

It is now the year 2017, and a new chapter in history is about to begin, written with blood as its ink, the pen a mysterious power known only as Geass.

But for good or ill, none can say for certain.

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_Seven years ago…_

Two boys sat watching a bloody sunset, a palette of colors that evoked a sense of mourning and loss, of childhood's horrifying murder, a wailing requiem for innocence. Around sat the ruined corpse-city of a nation, rubble scattered around like severed pieces of rotting flesh from a long dead body.

One of the boys sat crouched over himself, huddled and broken, his eyes mirrors into a shattered soul- he had already lost his innocence before this day. All he was losing now were the last shreds of peace he had clung to for so very long.

The other boy stood, defiant to the end, glaring at the sun as if challenging it to burn him away, and in his eyes a fire of his own that burned as fierce and all consuming as the sun's own was lit.

"It's all over now. Thank you for coming to meet me, even though… even though you're not supposed to," the first boy said softly, eyes downcast. "You'll keep your promise, right? I can't take care of her, but you can…"

"I will," the other boy replied, his tone a challenge not to his friend, but to the world. "I should never have left… if I had been here during the invasion…"

"You had no choice… we would only have used you as leverage against your father," he responded reassuringly, but his tone was fragile, like glass- whatever strength this boy possessed once had long since departed him.

The other boy had no reply to that, and turned away. It was only as he began walking away that he finally spoke again.

"Lelouch… I'm sorry about all this… but I promise you…" he vowed, emerald eyes alight with the flickering inferno of a revolution.

"I will crush Japan!"

"_I heard the world up, late night.  
Holding my breath tight, trying to keep my head on right.  
There's a chill in the air, nobody could care.  
How you're caught up in the fight of your life."_

_-"Heard The World" by O.A.R._

Chapter 1

The Sword in the Stone

He awoke, unusually enough, before dawn, waking to sweat soaked sheets, screaming the names of people he hadn't seen in seven long years.

_Eyes staring at him accusingly, screaming silent obscenities at him, cursing him and promising him that they would meet again in the place where all sinners go…_

"A bad dream," he muttered cynically, pressing his hand against his face, covering half of it, as though trying to hide himself from the relentless ghosts that plagued his thoughts. Irritably, he swung himself around until his legs were hanging off the bed, allowing him to sit atop of it.

For a long while, he sat there, trying to wish away the bad memories that refused to let him lie in that bed in the peaceful oblivion of sleep any longer. Finally, too frustrated and never one for that kind of sedentary thinking anyways, he stood, not bothering yet to dig a shirt out of his drawers, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black sweats.

Instead, he strode towards the windowsill, pushing aside one of the curtains, exposing the pre-dawn sky. The barest beginnings of light were starting to crack through the black curtain of the night, illuminating clouds and throwing them into sharp relief. Below, some hard working Brittanian boy, no older than himself, rode a bicycle on by, throwing out the daily news in front of his door.

Idly, he wondered if the news would have anything interesting to say. Anything that would make this world seem a little brighter, a little better, as if it were breaking the chain of pain and misery that had existed since the first man dropped from the trees and thought to walk on two legs.

But it wouldn't. It never did.

And that was because...

"This world... won't change. Not on its own."

The words slipped out of his mouth without his meaning to, laced with potent, but checked, rage and malice, like a sword begging to be released from its sheath, to draw blood and war and death. His teeth ground against each other, and his fingers curled around the rough cloth of his curtain as though strangling it.

And then, as if sensing his rage, the door opened with the slightest creak, and he heard a voice.

"You're up awfully early."

The tone was sly and catty, and he knew there would be a smirk on that face without turning around.

"So are you, C.C.," he said in reply, curling his lip in amusement, turning to glance back at her.

"You're pretty noisy when you wake up, boya," the green haired woman murmured silkily, with a sly look that would have driven the blood pressure up of most men, aided by the fact that she was dressed in nothing but an overly large white buttoned shirt, exposing endlessly long porcelain legs and a hint of cleavage.

"Do you have to walk around like that?" he asked curtly, arching his eyebrow.

She gave him a pretty little pout in response. "Don't like it?"

"I don't particularly care," he scoffed, crossing his arms and smirking down at her. "But I think Jeremiah's chivalry is offended when he sees you walking around like that first thing in the morning."

C.C. snorted and pushed him back softly, turning away. "You'd think that man would have gotten used to that by now."

He rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that Jeremiah was too devoted to his ideals of knightly honor to ever get used to a woman like C.C.

"Did you need something, C.C?" he questioned, striding over to his drawer and selecting a plain white shirt, pulling it over his head as he waited for a response.

"Did you dream about it again?"

The question caught him off guard, and he froze midway through pulling his shirt down. With a dangerous look in his eye, he turned and pulled the shirt down, glaring at the witch who had kept her back to him, hands folded at her back.

"Dwelling on bad memories doesn't help anyone," C.C. commented lightly, giving him a hooded look as she turned her head slightly to look back at him.

"I can't help what I dream, witch," he shot back irritably.

"Dreams are but an expression of our inner self," she replied airily, turning away to stare at the ceiling. "If you dream it, you were thinking about it, if only in your heart of hearts."

"And how can I not think about it!" he snapped suddenly, slamming his hand down on his dresser with a loud thump. "How can I not remember that... that..."

And then suddenly, without him even hearing her move towards him, he felt C.C.'s arms encircle him, pulling him into soft embrace as she leaned her head against his back.

"Let it go," she murmured quietly, breathing softly against his back. "You can't change the past, you said that yourself, that day, seven years ago. You can only move forward, and shape the future with your own hands"

"... I did, didn't I?" he chuckled softly, a bitter tone in his voice, letting himself lean into the embrace, needing the comfort of another's warmth, if only for a moment-

And then, suddenly, the door flew open with a loud bang and a frantic voice screamed, "My lord! Are you okay!"

Quick as a cat, C.C. pulled away from him, and stood off to the side as though nothing had happened, smirking at the newest arrival.

"Your precious prince is fine, Jeremiah-kun," she said slowly, teasingly, "He just had a mild temper problem, like all teenagers do."

"C.C...." he growled threateningly, and she merely chortled and sidled off to the door.

"Think about what I said, _bo-ya_," the witch said, and left, leaving him to turn towards the man who had so panickedly burst into his room.

"My apologies for intruding, sir," Jeremiah Gottwald said graciously, kneeling before him, dressed similarly to himself, in a plain black t-shirt and gray sweatpants, both of which were clearly drenched with sweat. "When I returned from my morning run I heard a noise in your room and your voice and thought something was wrong..."

"Jeremiah, stop kneeling," he muttered, rolling his eyes but with a soft tone in his voice. "You don't need to do that sort of thing anymore to me, remember?"

"You are still my liege, regardless of where you are or what titles you have," the knight answered immediately, keeping his head bowed. "My loyalty is absolute and unchanging."

"And I thank you for that, Jeremiah," he said quietly, a forlorn look in his eyes. "You are truly a knight of Brittania, and I am glad to have you in my service."

"You are too kind, my lord," Jeremiah replied respectfully, and then finally glanced up at him. "Since you are up already, what would you like for breakfast, Lelouch-sama?"

"Something filling," Lelouch Lamperouge, formerly Lelouch Vi Brittania, the seventeenth prince of Brittania, said lightly, a smirk forming on his face, "I get the feeling today might require it."

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Elsewhere, another young man laid deep in the confines of sleep which had eluded Lelouch, a peaceful dream which laid to rest the usual scowl that adorned this young man's face. And despite the depths of his sleep, his face held lines that should not exist on a young man's face as though he bore the weight of trying to change the world, and his eyes bore remnants of bags, as though his sense of justice would not let him sleep for long.

His sleep, however, was peaceful, deserved, and-

"SUZAKU-SAMA!"

Rudely interrupted.

Blearily, his eyes opened, and then immediately shut as he pulled the silken covers of his four poster bed over his head. The room around him was clearly opulent, containing a polished, lacquered wooden desk and dresser, an overtly large mirror complete with a light gold filigrees, and large double doors.

He hated it.

"Go away Milly," he muttered sleepily.

"No can do, Suzaku-sama," Milly Ashford answered sternly, clad in a modest one piece maid outfit, complete with a white headpiece atop her head, a playful glint in her eyes that belied her tone of voice. "I am the head of the household staff and the Master's own personal maid. Thus, I can't let you sleep in so late!" and with that, she yanked the covers off of his head forcefully, leaving him to curl up into rather pathetic ball and groan pitifully.

"Milly!" Suzaku protested, embarrassed. "I'm half-naked under here!"

"Oh for God's sake Suzaku-sama," she muttered, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms irritably, "I washed those boxers you're wearing right now just yesterday. I don't think seeing you in a state of undress is really that big a deal."

He groaned and rolled away from her. _How is she always so cheery in the mornings? _

"It's the principle of the thing," he countered grumpily. "Anyways, I was up late last night, writing a new draft of proposals to send to the homeland… can't you let me just skip the meetings today?"

"What would be the point of writing those new proposals if you miss the meetings they're for, hmm?" Milly replied cheekily, and forcefully tugged him off the bed, toppling him to the floor.

"Those meetings are full of yes-men who will agree to whatever I say, just because I'm the heir apparent," he retorted tartly, groaning and rubbing the back of his head as he began picking himself off the floor nonetheless. "And you didn't have to knock me onto the floor."

"Yes, yes, my apologies master," Milly said distractedly, waving her hand in absent dismissal. "Now get dressed. You have a meeting with Shinichiro Tamaki-san in an hour."

"What, the Secretary of Labor and Agriculture? Again?" he rolled his eyes irritably. "I swear, that man has more complaints than the entire city."

"Too bad for you that you're the one who has to deal with it, eh, Suzaku-sama?" Millay said cheerily, handing him a towel. "Now, get in! The main bath is already prepared."

"Which one of us is the master here, huh?" Kururugi Suzaku, Crown Prince of the Sacred Japanese Empire and Governor of the province of Brittania, complained.

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"Lelouch-sama, breakfast is ready!" Jeremiah called out, absently stirring the pan of sunny side up eggs with his left hand, a frilly pink apron tied to his front (a prank from C.C., who somehow convinced Jeremiah to wear it through means that Lelouch did not really want to know).

"Thank you, Jeremiah," Lelouch answered, nodding crisply as he fixed the red tie of his school uniform (a white shirt with a green sports jacket and black slacks), descending down the stairs and into the kitchen/dining room, which were basically combined into one room, with the stove, microwave, fridge, and other parts of the kitchen on one half and the modest table (enough to comfortably fit four, but only three chairs were ever occupied) and chairs of the dining half on the other. There was also a television situated across from the head of the table, against the wall and on top of a small cabinet of its own, centered so that both people sitting on one half of the table and the other could see it clearly.

"Took you long enough," C.C. teased, already halfway through her second pizza bread (her standard morning fare). "Any longer and we'd be late."

For her part, the witch was also dressed in a school uniform, a white sailor style blouse with blue sleeves and a plain black skirt, complete with long white leggings.

"I don't want to hear about it from a woman who spends an hour in the shower," Lelouch retorted immediately, smirking.

"Why Lelouch…" she answered huskily, leveling him a hooded look, "Are you curious about my… private time? You pervert."

As always, he sputtered and flushed deep red, causing C.C. to laugh out loud amusedly.

Luckily, he was saved by Jeremiah, who set the plate of eggs in front of him. "Breakfast is ready, Lelouch-sama," the knight said graciously, bowing his head.

"Ah… thank you, Jeremiah," the ex-prince said gratefully, nodding back as he settled into his chair.

"No thanks necessary, Lelouch-sama," Jeremiah answered immediately, as he removed his apron and hung it up on a nearby hanger, before settling down to eat as well. There was a companionable silence for a moment, and then the television broke through the silence.

_"And in other news, the People's Representative within the Empire's government, Schneizel El Brittania, has made yet another public statement that he is no way connected with the terrorist group referring to itself as the Brittanian Liberation Front, or BLF. Naturally, no one has been more cooperative in working with Japanese officials, but of course, Representative Schneizel is a former prince of Brittania, and such allegations are natural…"_

Jeremiah and C.C. watched the television with varying degrees of interest, while Lelouch merely looked bored, not even looking up from his plate, polishing off the last of his peppered egg.

"Fools," he scoffed, a slight sneer on his face. "Do they really think my brother is so spineless as to have completely bowed to their will? He is connected to the BLF, they just aren't smart enough to figure out how he's doing it."

"You really think so, boya?" C.C. asked with a bemused smirk.

"I know how my brother fights," Lelouch answered succinctly. "He's working with the Japanese to ingrain himself into their confidence and help Brittania from the inside, while he secretly aids those helping Brittania on the outside."

His eyes narrowed and his lip curled in distaste. "He plays both sides, and he is the one who benefits most."

"Lelouch-sama…" Jeremiah began hesitantly, glancing over to his liege lord, "Forgive me, but…"

Without even changing expression or looking over at his knight, Lelouch interrupted, "You want to know why I haven't done the same as my brother, or any other member of the royal family… why I do not fight our colonial masters."

Jeremiah looked mildly stricken at how candidly the question was stated, and opened his mouth to try and make it sound more polite, but Lelouch continued on without waiting for a response.

"My brother only fights this way because it's the only path he sees open to him… while I know there are other ways… I believe there is a path outside of war," he clenched his fingers and cast a pointed look at C.C. "Until certain conditions are met, however, my actions are still limited."

"Certain conditions?" the knight blinked, before he noticed the significant look his lord was casting towards the female member of their household. His confusion was ignored, however, as the two seemed engulfed in a world where only the two of them existed.

"C.C.," Lelouch began slowly, "Have you reconsidered-"

"My answer is still no, boya," the witch interrupted briskly. "The power of Geass is not something to take lightly, and I will not hand it over to a child."

"A child?" he arched his eyebrow with a dangerous tone in his voice.

"You do not know what you ask," C.C. replied tartly, casting her eyes downward, a dark look in her eyes. "What kind of path you are asking to take."

"I need that power!" Lelouch shouted, slamming his hands down on the table, rattling the plates. He glared over the table at C.C., who continued to eat the rest of her pizza bread nonchalantly, pointedly ignoring his angry stare.

With an angry huff, the former prince stood from his chair. "Thank you for the meal," he muttered irritably, and stormed back upstairs. "I'm going to get my bag."

After he had departed, Jeremiah glanced over at the only other occupant at the table with a hesitant look. "C.C.-san," he began slowly, "If I might be so bold… why don't you agree to Lelouch-sama's request? It pains him so much not to have the power of Geass, to be unable to help his country in the way he truly desires…"

"Jeremiah," C.C. said softly, and the tone immediately gave him pause. "Do you care for him?"

"Of course," the knight answered without hesitation.

"Would you protect him from anything that was going to harm him… even if it was himself?" the witch continued quietly, glancing downwards, fixing her eyes on the table.

"C.C.-san?" Jeremiah murmured, blinking in surprise.

"Power corrupts, Jeremiah," C.C. stated, a subdued tone in her voice. "And I will not see him corrupted by my own hand."

For a long time, neither spoke, with C.C. continuing to stare blankly and Jeremiah struggling to find something, anything to say to her.

"Oi, C.C. Let's go," Lelouch broke the silence, sighing as he descended the stairs, school bag held casually over his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah," C.C. replied, rolling her eyes, not a trace of her subdued tone left in either her voice or expression, vanishing entirely like morning mist.

"We're off," Lelouch replied casually, as he stepped out the back door, with C.C. tailing close behind.

Jeremiah, for his part, stood as well, nodding at his prince. "Have a good day, Lelouch-sama, C.C.-san. Now, please excuse me- it's almost time to open up the bakery."

In addition to being Lelouch's full-time guardian and caretaker, Jeremiah Gottwald had also gained a new profession- the proud owner of a small corner bakery, entitled Orange Breads. Not the typical job one might think a former knight of Brittania would take, but that was exactly why Jeremiah had taken it.

After all, who would think that the friendly, somewhat air-headed local baker was a highly trained soldier and royal knight guarding one of the last of an imperial family that was scattered to the winds?

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The world was lightless, soundless, tasteless. An endless, timeless, deathless oblivion of pure and unending darkness. How long she had been plunged into this world, she did not recall, and what of the world she had been in before that, she could only tease an image or two out of her beleaguered and weary mind.

A flash of a smile, a murmur of a word, the barest hint of some tantalizing scent, and then the images were gone and only oblivion remained.

The images mixed and swirled like rain washing dirt, muddying the waters of her mind with the past, the present, and maybe even a passing glimpse of the future, diluting into dreams of half seen things and whispered sounds.

Time had no meaning here.

Hunger did not exist, nor did thirst.

And so she dreamed on, a thoughtless sleep with a muddied mind in a deathless void.

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"I have the target in sight boss."

"Roger that. It's just like our intel said. Looks like a nice and easy grab and smash."

"We have intelligence boss?"

"Hey, we have damn good intelligence."

"Coulda fooled me!"

"Hey Rivalz, do you really think it's a good idea to be joking right before a mission?"

"Aw, lighten up. I'm just messing with Gino. No need to interrupt some good pre-battle banter."

"Yeah, come on Shirley. As your commander, I'm ordering you to relax! Come on."

"… boys. Don't get cocky! This is serious!"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember."

Gino Weinberg shrugged, and a grin flashed over his face.

"Well, you heard the lady. Let's get started then."

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"I'm afraid your requests for more Brittanian laborers for the factories in Glasgow is simply not possible at this time, Secretary Tamaki-san," Suzaku answered briskly, setting down the thick stack of forms to glance over at the older man. He was dressed according to his station as a Prince of Japan, clad formally in a simple green haori jacket over a silken black kimono and matching hakama pants, with the kimono bearing the traditional five crests, each bearing the Imperial Crest- a yellow-gold chrysanthemum, outlined in black, with sixteen petals and the tips of sixteen more petals showing beneath those. While simple, everything about it spoke to the traditional Japanese authority, hailing back to the traditions of old that retained great power even in this modern age of machines and metal.

It was the outfit Suzaku wore with the most disdain, the most secret hate.

"What? Aw, come on, Suzaku-sama, I'm not askin' for much," Tamaki pleaded from across the table, dressed smartly in a black suit and pants, leaning forward.

"Secretary Tamaki is right," another aide chimed in, nodding his head sycophantically. "My lord, strictly speaking, the factories in Glasgow-"

"I have a report here," Suzaku interrupted flatly, gesturing towards his personal computer, "That indicates that those factories are mistreating and abusing their Brittanian workers. One report even indicates that a woman may even have been raped!" he added, a tone of outrage in his voice.

Before he could continue his rant, however, a voice broke in from his immediate right.

"Prince Suzaku," Colonel Kusakabe Ichiro, his Chief of Staff and liaison to the military, cut in mildly, a note of condescension in his voice, "If I may be so bold, these accusations are from Brittanians themselves. No doubt they are merely attempting to stir up trouble. You can't expect to take their word over the word of our fellow countrymen. And in any case, we are the ones who carry the justice of heaven."

Silence dominated the room after his statement, and some eyes drew towards the flag of Japan hanging on the far wall. Within the red sun of the white flag, sat the two kanji letters under which the Empire fought its wars.

Ten, for Heaven.

Chu, for Punishment.

Tenchu, heaven's punishment. We who deliver the punishment of heaven onto the world that will not kneel before the one true ruler, the true divinity, who sits atop the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Around the table, heads bobbed in affirming nods- all except for one.

"To stir up trouble?" the prince sputtered, clenching his fists. "Is that what you think, Colonel Kusakabe?"

The rest of those assembled at this meeting fell back at the barely checked rage present in their prince's voice, but Kusakabe took it in stride.

"My lord, I know the owners of that factory, and I can assure you that they would do no such thing," the Colonel replied with an oily tone, "And this factory is an important element of our military capabilities here in Brittania. More workers must be found."

"The decision to assign those workers, however, belongs to me," Suzaku countered coldly, fixing a steely look at his Chief of Staff. "And I have made my decision, Colonel, and that is final."

For a moment, Kusakabe stared back at him, a hard look in his eyes, before he bowed his head. "As you wish, my lord."

Suzaku bit back his disgust, turning towards Tamaki with a more apologetic look. The Colonel might be a corrupt, scheming politician, but Tamaki was more a fool than anything else, and didn't deserve his ire.

"It's just too much, I'm sorry," he finished, inclining his head as he stood up sharply. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

All those present at the meeting stood as he did, and bowed deeply in respect as Suzaku strode quickly out of the room, not deigning to give them a return bow.

"Rough meeting, Suzaku-sama?" Milly asked, bowing deeply to him, having been standing just outside the door to await her master's return.

Suzaku smiled wearily.

"A bit," he replied, and Milly fell into stride behind him, head still bowed respectfully. "I'm going to head out for a bit, Milly- would you mind covering for me?"

"Not at all," she responded graciously, bowing deeply. "Should I prepare the usual excuses?"

Despite his frustration and exhaustion, Suzaku chuckled. "Just as long as you don't tell them I was out finding 'love slaves for my future imperial harem' again, okay?"

Milly smiled cattily. "Why Suzaku-sama, don't you know me at all?"

"That's exactly why I said it," he muttered, shaking his head.

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"Geez, that stupid prince," Tamaki muttered angrily, as the door shut resoundingly behind Suzaku, "Where does he get off yelling at us like that?"

"The Emperor is much too lenient with the Prince, even if he is the heir apparent and his only son," Colonel Kusakabe agreed, sounding annoyed. "But it cannot be helped. The Prince is the governor of this region, and his orders are absolute. We cannot get more men to the factory just yet."

"We could try askin' the Emperor," Tamaki suggested, but the Colonel shook his head.

"Going above the Prince's head for a matter like this isn't worth it. No, we need to save that for more pressing issues…" Kusakabe's voice trailed off, as his phone began to ring.

The Colonel frowned, but he recognized the number and put the phone to his ear. "I told you never to call me at this number," he warned dangerously, but he recognized that the caller had to be in desperate straits to need to call. "What is it?"

The message was only a single short sentence.

Ten minutes later, Kusakabe had his persona military forces organized and ready to go- now this was the kind of pressing issue that required going above the Prince's head.

What the boy wouldn't know wouldn't hurt him, after all.

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Elsewhere, someone else's phone pulsed slightly, having been on silent, because of his surroundings.

Only two people in the classroom seemed to notice- the teacher continued to lecture on and on and scribble the occasional near illegible note on the board at the front, while the rows of individual desks were filled with students who were either falling asleep, trying and failing to pay attention, or were doing something to kill the absurd boredom.

Lelouch let a brief grin cross his otherwise bored face, as he pretended to continue to pay attention to the teacher, even bothering to let his pen flow freely across the page, taking brief, shorthand notes that he really didn't need anyways.

C.C. fixed an unreadable gaze upon him, the shade of a frown on her face.

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As always, he waited at the grassy knoll in the public park, a small area tucked away on the far side of a lake, behind a cherry blossom tree. It was disguised well enough by that tree and several bushes on different sides that it was practically invisible to most patrons of the park. The London Settlement, being the principal city of the Japanese province that was once Brittania, and as such it was a fairly bustling, clean city, made so in order to showcase the might and wealth of the Japanese Empire.

He waited at the park because it was the only place he could still sometimes pretend that the Empire hadn't yet touched this country. He had always been more comfortable, more at ease amongst the rough and tumble of rocks and trees and grass, with shorts worn above skinned knees and a shining sun overhead.

Sometimes, he was able to close his eyes and pretend he was at peace.

A step, at the edges of his hearing.

Lelouch had a distinct gait, a slow, measured movement that belied a kind of inherent grace belonging to those born of royalty, a grace that he himself had never learned.

_ He should be where I am,_ he thought to himself. _He's far more cut out for this._

"Did I pull you out of class?" Suzaku asked casually, gazing up at the endless sky, arms crossed behind his head to make a makeshift pillow. He had changed out of his formal kimono and into simple jeans and t-shirt- clothes he could get dirty in, get lost in a crowd in, be _free _in.

"Like I really need it," Lelouch scoffed, rolling his eyes, taking the final steps up the hill so that he was standing just behind Suzaku's head, looking up at the same sky. "What's wrong?"

"Why would something be wrong?"

Lelouch raised a cynical eyebrow, looking unimpressed. "You're not even frowning today. When you're not frowning, it means you're not upset- you're angry."

Suzaku chuckled. "You know me too well."

"We've been best friends for seven years, I would think so," came the bored answer, but the undercurrent of warmth was audible to his ears- the mutual understanding worked both ways, after all.

"It's nothing new… just… this Empire. This world. It won't…" Suzaku bit his lip- he wasn't halting his words because of hesitation, but frustration.

"It won't change," Lelouch finished, already knowing the answer. They were best friends, after all. "How is she?"

Suzaku let a smile cross his face. "She's fine. I check on her every day, just like I promised. I could let you see her, if you want…"

A tremor, like a disease patient trembling, ran below Lelouch's skin, a memory like a cancer eating away at his control.

"You know I can't. It's not safe," he said slowly, the words as dry and stale as desert air, as though he had repeated them over and over to himself for years.

Only silence followed, wind whistled through leaves, mixing with the soft lapping of waves against the shores of the lake behind them, enwrapping the two boys in a world of peace all their own.

And as is the way with reality, that peace was utterly shattered by the sounds of war in the distance.

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Shirley Fenette was what some people would call a 'girly girl'- she enjoyed little girl motifs, the color pink, flowers, and dresses. She was slim and delicate looking, with long strawberry hair and pale skin.

Which was why no one once thought she was actually a dangerous member of a Brittanian resistance cell, dedicated to bringing down the colonial government ruling over their country.

"Shirley, a little help here? I could really use some directions," Rivalz Cardemonde begged nervously, dressed, like her, in a gray jumpsuit and matching hat to cover his eyes, sweating hands on the wheel of the eighteen wheeler truck they had commandeered for this mission, which just barely managed to fit their cargo and their "insurance". He wasn't at the legal age to drive, but it didn't really matter, considering they had just stolen military property- at this point, breaking driving laws was the least of their worries.

Frankly, the whole mission smelled wrong to her- the information had come from sources that even Gino seemed somewhat skeptical about, but the chance to secure some important new military technology shipped in from the Japanese homeland was too much for them to pass up.

Shirley rolled her eyes. "The drop off point is outside Havering. You need to take the next exit and then make a right. We went over this at the briefing."

"I'm sorry we can't all remember stuff like that all that well," Rivalz shot back sarcastically, more out of nervousness than anything else. He had gone on several missions with her, and though he still got nervous under fire, he was reliable and hard working, which earned him a degree of trust.

"Look, let's just keep moving, alright?" Shirley muttered, pulling her hat closer over her eyes- it was important that they weren't identified. "God only knows when those damn Japanese bastards will figure it out-"

And right on cue, an electronically amplified voice interrupted her tirade.

"This is the Japanese military- stop the vehicle immediately and surrender yourself to our custody. If you do not, we have been authorized to use lethal force."

"Well, we're in trouble now," Rivalz said, chuckling morbidly, glancing over at her.

"Just keep driving," Shirley said determinedly, whipping off the hat as she unbuckled herself out of the passenger's seat. "I'll take care of this. It's why we have that 'insurance', anyways."

Shirley Fenette was what some people would call a 'girly girl'- she enjoyed little girl motifs, the color pink, flowers, and dresses- and as a result, not only did people not realize she was part of an underground terrorist cell, but that she was also a very capable Knightmare Frame pilot.

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"Wait, hold… hold on… I… I need to catch my breath…" Lelouch panted slowly, hands on his knees, sweat practically rolling down his neck as he attempted to regain his breath, causing them to stop at the sidewalk of a formerly busy intersection (but thanks to whatever was causing this commotion, the number of cars had decreased dramatically).

"We only ran a few hundred feet," Suzaku said lightly, tone unchanged, as though he had been at a brisk walk instead of running headlong towards whatever disturbance was in the area. "Come on, it can't be that bad. I think whatever's happening is just ahead."

"Go… to… hell," he shot back, glaring daggers at his best friend. "We're not all meatheaded idiots. And why are we running?"

"I want to find out what's happening with my own two eyes," Suzaku replied quickly, a hint of impatience in his tone.

"You're too damn impulsive," Lelouch scowled, rolling his eyes in consternation. "Why don't you just make a call and find out what's happening? You're the head of the government here- shouldn't you have people for that?"

"… I left my phone behind," Suzaku admittedly sheepishly. "I didn't want to be bothered."

Lelouch gave him a look that could have melted steel and turned timber to ash, as he pulled his phone out, moving to punch in a number-

When an explosion not ten feet away occurred in street next to them, causing Suzaku to stumble and Lelouch to fall flat on his ass (leaving no question as to which one of them had the better sense of balance and physical ability).

They had barely recovered when an eighteen wheeler truck came barreling down the street like a massive land missile, followed swiftly by a white Knightmare Frame running interference behind it against several pursuing tanks- thankfully, they were going the opposite direction, so they were on the opposite lane, across the street.

"I guess we know what's happening," Lelouch coughed, trying to pick himself back up. "Eh, Suza- Suzaku?"

He blinked, scanning the street, only to find his friend already half a block down, running full tilt after the battle.

"Get somewhere safe!" Suzaku yelled behind him, "I'll find out what's going on!"

And before Lelouch could even comprehend and reply, he was gone.

"Damn meatheaded idiot," Lelouch swore loudly, picking himself up, and started after him.

000000

Since the very first time she stepped inside a Knightmare, Shirley had to admit she received a thrill at handling such a potent machine, feeling the power at her fingertips. A dark part of her relished it, a part she was sometimes ashamed to admit existed, but that was fundamentally a part of her since that day, seven years ago.

"This is for you, daddy," she whispered softly, her personal, private ritual before battle, and charged forward with her Knightmare.

Because Brittania had developed Knightmare Frame technology first, even now, the old Knightmares made back during the war were still effective enough to fight on somewhat equal grounds with the newer Japanese Knightmare Frames. This particular model was known as the De Danann, one of the last series developed by the Brittanian Knightmare group, the Ashford Foundation, before they collapsed in the aftermath of the war.

The De Danann was white, with a cylindrical head that contained a Factsphere within, and bulky arms and legs that were occasionally somewhat clumsy, but it was fast and it carried two sharp Slash Harkens attached to the sides of its chest, which was all Shirley needed.

The tank in front of her swiveled its turret towards her, but before it could fire, she hit the controls and the De Danann lunged forward, smashing its fist into the front of the tank and crumpling the vehicle with a single blow.

Before the other two remaining tanks could respond, Shirley's Knightmare launched its Slash Harkens, easily slicing through the armor of both tanks, destroying them in an instant- conventional armored vehicles were growing ever less effective against Knightmares, and even an aging one like the De Danann could handle it easily.

However, that was only up against three tanks- Shirley could see using the sensors that reinforcements were coming in fast and hard, and this time, they would probably be using the Japanese Knightmares as well.

"Rivalz!" Shirley yelled loudly into the communicator. "Take a left at the next light and head into the Underground! We'll try to lose them there!"

Most of the once famous London Underground, the train tunnels that had once connected the old bustling capitol of Brittania, had been so heavily damaged during the invasion that the Empire had decided to abandon them altogether, replacing them with above-ground railroad tracks that now served the same purpose for cheap public transportation. As a result, however, the Underground became a breeding ground for those who refused to live in a city run by their oppressors- resistance fighters like Rivalz and Shirley knew their way around far better than the Japanese Army.

Now if only they could reach it in time-

Overhead, one Knightmare transport plane soared overhead, two more following close behind, and Shirley bit back a curse. "Rivalz! Their Knightmares are here! I'll slow them down, you keep going! I'll meet you at the drop off point!"

"Be careful," Rivalz replied, and the truck swerved left, down towards the Underground. There was no actual road into the Underground, but there were still a few abandoned rails that headed into tunnels- Rivalz had just cut onto one of them, a route they had used in previous missions.

For her part, Shirley found herself having to deal with the enemy Knightmare Frame, which was rapidly descending from its transport plane. The machine in question was a generation ahead of her aging De Danann, making it a Fifth Generation Knightmare Frame- the new model created after the invasion, ubiquitously named "Shinran".

It was painted a deep forest green, featured a more streamlined design than her De Danann, but the armor was significantly thicker, especially around the cockpit and shoulders, and the shoulder armor even boasted a wicked looking spike that Shirley had seen used as a makeshift weapon before. The head design was closer to a human's than her Knightmare's odd cylinder-shaped one, and boasted two overly large horns, purely for aesthetic value. To add to all this, it was equipped with an assault rifle, whereas her Knightmare had only its Stun Tonfas and Slash Harkens.

A brief trill ran through her stomach, the anticipation of battle. Grinning, the picture of a valkyrie springing out of myth, Shirley charged forward, extending her Stun Tonfas attached to her Knightmare's arms as she did so.

The Shinran Knightmare Frame pulled back, trying to put enough distance between them to use its assault rifle- a mistake, as it turned out, as Shirley rushed forward, correctly predicting its movement and slammed her left Stun Tonfa down on the arm carrying the rifle, shattering the enemy Knightmare's arm in one go and causing the rifle to fall.

Her Knightmare might have been a generation behind the Japanese machine, but Brittania was the creator of the Knightmare Frame to begin with- its Knightmares, while fewer in number and not having nearly as much of the precious Sakuradite to use as fuel, had always had an edge in power.

With a swift thrust, Shirley slammed her other Stun Tonfa directly into the chest of the Shinran, crumpling the cockpit, likely killing the pilot within, causing the Knightmare to collapse onto the road, unmoving.

She had no time to relish the victory, as the other two transport planes had already released their deadly cargo, and she was now facing down two more Shinran Knightmare Frames.

Gritting her teeth, Shirley pushed her De Danann forward, trying to close the distance again before they could draw a bead on her and open fire with their weapons. Cleverly, they split up, one going left and the other right, forcing her to split her attention- she chose to hit the right one, firing her Slash Harkens.

The enemy Knightmare ducked one, but the other caught its arm and sliced it off at the elbow, causing it to drop its rifle. Feeling confident she had stymied that opponent for at least a few moments, Shirley turned the Knightmare just in time to avoid a burst of fire, though not nearly fast enough to avoid getting clipped as part of her left Stun Tonfa was destroyed- but she still had her right, and proved it by dashing forward and crushing the side of the Shinran's head with it, causing it to spin out of control and crash into a nearby building.

The other Knightmare fired off its Slash Harkens, trying to take her by surprise, and it half worked- Shirley couldn't turn fast enough and her De Danann lost its right arm. She paid the opponent back in kind, however, as her own Slash Harkens tore apart the torso and destroyed the cockpit.

Ahead off in the distance, several more Knightmare transport planes came into focus, and below, a convoy of armored vehicles and tanks- the second wave of the pursuers. She had already lost both her Stun Tonfas and her right arm fighting three of them. Any more would be suicide.

It was time to go. Shirley briefly paused to grab a fallen assault rifle, and then took off, avoiding using the same route Rivalz had, knowing another way to get into the Underground that was farther away, so that they wouldn't be able to use her to find him.

Hopefully, he hadn't gotten himself into too much trouble…

000000

"Colonel, that De Danann is escaping," his aide reported nervously, glancing over at him.

"Ignore it. One rebel is not as important as the cargo they stole from us," Kusakabe snapped irritably, hands clenched over the hilt of his ceremonial officer's katana, planting its sheathed blade firmly on the floor of the armored transport he sat in.

Damn. How the hell did those insurrectionists find out about this shipment? Who could have leaked it… the only ones who should have known were the people who developed it at the research lab and himself…

"Faster," he instructed impatiently. _Let me find them in time, damn it… _

000000

"Oh man I am so freaking lost," Rivalz muttered, pulling the truck around another bend. He had to admit, he was rather terrible with directions- Shirley was always the navigator during missions. Still, Havering had to be in that general direction, right… with determined resolve, he made a right-

He hit a dead end.

Rivalz swore.

"Oh screw it, I'll pull over and get the map."

000000

Suzaku was already far inside the tunnel following the runaway truck when he started reconsidering his decision to follow what was likely a group of terrorists. He was confident in his martial abilities, but still… On the other hand, he was curious what prompted such an immediate response from the military, and without his authorization to boot.

Was Kusakabe planning something?

He might have been the Governor and the Crown Prince, but most of the politicians and officials still liked to keep him out of the loop, preferring to think of him as a boy. Sometimes, the only eyes and ears he could trust were his own.

His train of thought was derailed, so to speak, after watching the truck suddenly pull over down a corner and stop, killing the lights. Was the driver trying to hide, or was this the meet up point?

Creeping up carefully around the corner, he watched as the driver exited the vehicle, holding what Suzaku guessed humorously was a map. It was too dark to tell the sex or age of the driver with any certainty, but from the tall, slender frame, Suzaku guessed it had to be an older male.

Swiftly, he closed the distance between them, and pulled the driver into a headlock.

"Don't move!" Suzaku hissed, tightening the grip.

"Y-you'll never get anything out of me!" came the stammering voice of a young man, probably younger than Suzaku himself.

He was so surprised he nearly lost his grip, but regained control at the last moment. "I'm not with the military," he muttered, which was technically not a lie. "I just want to know, what's in the truck?"

The young man stopped squirming at that. "Why should I trust you?" came the defiant question.

Suzaku felt a faint smile cross his face. This young man had guts, at least. "I swear it," he said quietly. "I can't let you see my face just yet, but I promise I just want to know what's in there."

It took a few moments before he received a reply. "… I don't really know. This truck was already loaded with the stuff when we got to it, we were just supposed to hijack it. Some kind of new military technology that just arrived this morning… the boss said it was supposed to be a quick smash and grab. Didn't expect this."

"New military technology?" Suzaku blinked. Now there had to be something wrong. Any kind of important shipment would have gone through him first and foremost, especially if it was valuable enough to dispatch Knightmare Frames after.

Just what was the Colonel planning?

"Give me the keys, I want to have a look. After you give me the keys, get up against the wall, and don't turn around. I won't hurt you or take whatever it is in there- I just want to know what it is," Suzaku promised slowly, letting the grip relax a fraction. "Do you understand?"

"… it's not locked, I think. We didn't have time to lock it… you just need to remove the outside bolt," the driver admitted, but handed the keys over anyway.

"I'm going to let you go now. Don't turn around." And with that, Suzaku let go, and darted off for the back of the truck, just in case his prisoner decided to break his word. Since Suzaku had the keys, though, the other man couldn't take off with the cargo.

Removing the bolt, Suzaku opened the doors…

What he saw was not what he expected. In the far back, there was a single, dominating container, made up of smooth, polished metal that looked as though it had no openings or edges to speak of- as though it were simply a large rectangular block cut from some unknown, alien material. It would have puzzled Suzaku, had he not seen what was lying just at the feet of the black shape, like a sacrifice at some unknown altar.

The first thing he realized was the color pink dominating his vision, a vibrant pink that completely contrasted with the darkness around them. The pink was coming from long hair that looked unnaturally lustrous, almost supernaturally so. His eyes traced the hair to the delicate face of a woman that, even in this dim lighting, he realized was astonishingly pretty, and strangely familiar.

This beauty was marred, however, by the black gag and blindfold that had covered her mouth and eyes respectively, and as he glanced farther down he realized this girl was in one of the prisoner restraining suits created by Japan, with numerous buckles that tied the victim up at the ankles, knees, elbows, and wrists, completely freezing movement.

After another moment, he realized she was completely and utterly inert, comatose to the world- she had been drugged.

_This _was the military technology Kusakabe was smuggling into the country?

"What the hell is he doing?" Suzaku breathed, disgustedly removing the blindfold (revealing a delicately framed nose and long, long eyelashes), lifting the girl in his arms, holding her delicately, moving to take off the gag-

"Working for the betterment of our country, my Prince."

Suzaku whirled about, searching the darkness, when he was suddenly blinded as several floodlights kicked in, causing his vision to turn white as he reflexively put his hand up to shield his eyes. After it returned, he blinked furiously several times and removed his hand, coming face to face with his traitorous military commander, backed by five armed men alongside an armored vehicle and two Shinran Knightmares.

Off to the side, the body of the driver, who was revealed to indeed by a young man with blue hair, was restrained by another soldier.

"Working for the betterment of our country or yourself, Kusakabe?" Suzaku spat, narrowing his eyes. "What did you do to that boy?"

"The boy is fine. I need him for questioning, after all." The Colonel smiled like a serpent. "You don't understand what you're holding in your arms, my Prince. That girl, and the other parcel in that truck… they could change the face of war forever."

Suzaku scowled. "You're insane. This is just a girl."

Kusakabe sighed, shaking his head disappointedly as he rested his hands atop his katana, which was plunged into the dirt. "You just don't understand. In any case, I must ask that you release the girl- she's my property."

"Property?" his nostrils flared, and his fists tightened, aching to break the world between his fingers. "She's a human being!"

"If only you knew," Kusakabe snorted, and then jerked his head, and the soldiers behind him moved forward to take the girl from his grasp.

Suzaku shot them a glare, and stood, still holding the girl in his arms. "In the name of my father, the Emperor who sits upon the Chrysanthemum Throne, and as the Crown Prince of holy Japan and Governor of Brittania, I order you men to stand down and arrest the Colonel!"

The soldiers didn't even slow down, and grabbed at the unconscious girl, trying to pry her away from him.

Angrily, Suzaku tried to fight them off, shouting again, "Didn't you hear me? I'm-"

"Your orders don't count for anything here, boy," Kusakabe said venomously, chuckling. "Men obey those with real power, not puffed up princes who pretend they have a say in the world."

"You bastard!" Suzaku snarled, and lashed out with a kick, striking the nearest soldier and sending him crashing away into another man. He kept a firm grip on the girl, pulling them back towards the truck's cargo hold, when he was stopped by the distinctive click of a gun being cocked.

Kusakabe's unpleasant smile became as thin and sharp as a killing edge. "Like I said, your orders mean nothing here, my prince," he said, using the title mockingly, and motioned with his gun. "Now, set the girl down. I would hate to spill royal blood here. And don't think that the Emperor can save you. The Chrysanthemum Throne is half a world away, and if I can present him with what this girl represents, he won't need you anyway."

"I wasn't counting on my father's protection anyway," Suzaku growled, refusing to let go, even as he turned around.

"Indeed, I rather imagine he'd be pleased being rid of some whoreson he was forced to call his own blood," the Colonel replied, a sardonic, mocking play of a smile on his lips. "Isn't that why he sent you to this accursed island when you were a child, seven years ago? To hide such an embarrassment from the eyes of the court?"

If Suzaku could have done it without loosening his hold on the girl in his arms, he would have torn out Kusakabe's throat with his bare hands.

"In fact…" Kusakabe raised the gun, finger dancing at the trigger, "Why don't we just find out how angry he would be if I killed you?"

The gun went off.

000000

The world was no longer lightless, soundless, tasteless. There was a light at the edges of her mind, burning so bright that even the ravenous, jealous darkness that consumed her could not keep her from it.

What that light was, she couldn't say. Maybe she knew it, but in this unending oblivion she had forgotten so very much.

But it was warm and it was real, and she longed to find it.

_It's you_, she whispered, opened her eyes, and pushed herself forward in time to catch the bullet, which pierced her breast, a merciless sword of white hot agony. But it was all worth it, because she could feel again for the first time in what might have been eternity.

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For Suzaku, it all happened too fast to react to. Kusakabe was a trained, professional soldier- he wasn't going to wait a moment to add a pithy one liner to his threat. He was just going to shoot.

Even if he had been capable of even thinking about moving, he wouldn't have- to do so would have been to let go of the girl, and once he did he wasn't sure he'd be able to take her back from those men.

As the gun went off though, his mind finally kicked in, just in time to watch as the very girl had been trying to protect suddenly push through his grip and move herself in the way of the bullet, which pierced her chest, splattering his face with her blood, anointing him with the sacrifice of an innocent girl.

"Damn it!" Kusakabe swore loudly, looking annoyed. "Now look what you've done! I might have just ruined our only test subject!"

Suzaku's trembling hands reached out to turn the girl's face towards him, her violet eyes now open and unblinking, as if accusing him of her death.

And with horror, he realized he knew this girl.

_"Lelouch, don't be mean to him!" she said loudly, nudging the glaring, amethyst eyed prince away, and flashing him the most brilliant, beautiful smile he had ever seen. "It's okay. Welcome to Brittania, Kururugi Suzaku-san. I'm Euphemia Li Brittania, but you can call me-"_

"Euphie?" he whispered, eyes widening. Impossible.

No one had seen her since the fall of Brittania, over seven years ago- she was missing, declared dead. Even Lelouch swore he had never been able to track her down, despite all his best efforts. Unlike most of the other royal children, who had either gone into exile or cooperated with the government, her location seemed lost.

She was dead.

And yet…

This was her. This was Euphie.

"What is she… why was she in there…" he breathed, half-mad, babbling words without knowing it.

"You've never seen death so close before, have you?" the Colonel questioned, raising his eyebrow, chuckling, sounding vaguely bemused. "It's always a shock that first time. But don't worry, I won't miss this time."

Shaking, his shocked mind finally allowed itself a thought- not to move him out of the way, but to berate him in the last few moments before his brain would be reduced to so much gray pulp and blood on the walls.

_Pathetic._

_ Pathetic._

_ Pathetic._

_ You can't even save the life of one girl. This is the extent of your justice? You're going to die without accomplishing anything? _

_ Pathetic. _

Suzaku shut his eyes, and waited for death.

_**You don't have to die.**_

The thought was a foreign intrusion on his mind, the voice unlike his own- the voice of a woman, a pleasing, soft pitch in his ears.

Was this some kind of last minute hallucination?

_**I will give you the power. I know you can use it. You're the one I've been waiting for. **_

"Farewell, my dear prince." Kusakabe smiled thinly, and fired.

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Lelouch scowled, glancing down the tunnel suspiciously. He thought he had heard gunshots, but… there was no way Suzaku would actually be stupid enough to go into the Underground alone, right?

He thought about it for another moment.

"That goddamn idiot." Lelouch cursed his erstwhile best friend, even as he started down the tunnel. "If we live through this, I'm going to kill him."

A hollow threat, in more ways than one, Lelouch knew, but it felt nice to say it.

But at the same time, he couldn't shake this nameless, vaguely malignant dread that plagued his heart. Something terrible was about to happen.

_You'd better be safe Suzaku_, he thought determinedly, and moved a little faster.

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The world had turned into a maelstrom of violence and sound, a chaotic vortex that drowned his senses.

Was this how it felt right before the bullet?

_I'm sorry, Euphie,_ he whispered silently, and pulled her body closer to his own- maybe in death his grip on her would still trouble the soldiers.

What happened next, however, was not the feeling of a tiny cone of death piercing his skull, but the sound of a bullet ricocheting off of something metallic.

"W-what the hell is that?" Kusakabe said loudly, but it sounded distant to his ears, as though coming through a high, keening wind that absorbed most of the noise.

The smell of gunpowder filled his nostrils, and yet it felt as though the scent stayed there, unable to effect him. Sweat born from frayed nerves rolled down his neck, and he didn't even notice. His own heartbeat practically roared in his ears, and still, he heard it and felt it with a curious dissonance, analyzing it, feeling it without _experiencing_ it.

Nothing felt real in that moment, except the machine in front of him.

It was golden, radiating such magnificent glory that it caused a frightful awe in all who saw it, like a god of myth and legend descended to earth. It was a Knightmare Frame, or at least that was all he could call it, because that was the closest man-made creation that could come even close to being categorized with this beast that seemed to have sprung from some sort of terrible, fiendish imagination. Unlike other Knightmares, which looked like clumsy imitations of men, this was the image of man as he could be, a magnificent specimen of metal exaltation. It had no unwieldy Landspinners to propel itself, but true feet, set in three toed claws, and a helmeted head with a mouthless face and burning red eyes, a terrible knight sprung from fairytales. It wielded a mighty blade in one hand, half again as tall as Suzaku himself, as bright as the stars and as keenly edged as the eyes of a hawk.

And without thinking, he already knew its name, for that same ethereal voice was in his ear, whispering it to him.

_**Caliburn. **_

_**This is your power.**_

Without thinking, as though he were an automaton, a slave to the effulgent, alien magnificence that was this machine, the Caliburn, Suzaku glanced over at Kusakabe, his men, and his war machines that seemed as paltry and insignificant as dry leaves before a wildfire, and spoke only two words to this newly gestated god.

"Kill them."

And as this golden warrior-god, this Caliburn, did as he requested, taking its massive blade and slicing through Kusakabe's body and the body of five other men as though moving through air, and then lunged forward and stabbed through the armored vehicle as a child might put his finger through the sand, before finally turning its attention to the Shinran Knightmare Frames, who fought it like wasps fighting a giant, stinging it with their bullets that were no more than an annoyance against its unnatural armor before being destroyed with a single swing of that terrible sword, a thought, a realization, an epiphany that might have come on the trumpets of angels or maybe the murmurs of devils, came into being in his psyche.

This was it.

This was what he had waited for his entire life.

A means to fight against a society that had fallen into corruption and ruin, a power to use to defend the powerless, and a justice against the injustices of a world gone mad.

_A path._

Kururugi Suzaku laughed, and the world trembled before him.

Author's Notes

Welcome to my new pet project- I won't be working on it very much until I finish Revenant, but I thought I'd post the first chapter and see what people thought about it. This'll mostly be my nice side project to work on continuously after Revenant.

I'm aware I haven't truly set the stage yet, but with this story, I'm going to introduce the elements gradually, to ease you all in- besides, it's no fun to show you guys all my cards right away. Everyone will be playing a part, in some capacity, though all roles will be reversed in some fashion or another. Admittedly, I haven't thought of what to do for everyone yet, just the core cast and some of the supporting, but as the ideas come to me I'll continue adding more characters to this mythos. Not all the characters will switch roles with the person taking their place, by the way- Shirley has taken Kallen's role, but that doesn't mean Kallen has taken Shirley's… *grins*

Pairings will occur in this story, just as it did in canon. I'm still not totally decided on how it will all play out, or who will be with whom, but I'll be playing around with a number of different ships, so keep an eye out- just know that no pairing is set in stone.

This chapter took a long time to finish (read: started it over half a year ago, left it alone, and then came back to it a few days ago and wrote most of it in a day and a half), because I was basically trying to run it completely parallel to the original first episode of R1, and didn't realize how much it would take to make the whole thing come together. After this, though, things will begin deviating rapidly from canon- I'll have some arcs that will parallel the original story, but other times I'll be changing things entirely.

Kusakabe is one of the one-shot characters in Code Geass season 1, the guy who took over the Kawaguchi hotel and held the Ashford girls and Euphemia hostage. He seemed a good fit for my purposes, so I used him here, which is what I'll probably be doing with several more minor characters.

Its funny- I picked Havering at random as a place, and then went "oh shit, I need a place that's close to the docks", only to find out it is, in fact, close enough to the ocean and the London dock area to count. Big thanks to hungrybookworm though for letting me question her about England - any inconsistencies with the original country you can just attribute to this being fiction and an alternate universe to boot, because I already tried to make it as accurate as I could.

The De Danann is a reference to the Tuatha De Danann, an ancient people in Irish mythology. I didn't really know how to describe it, but basically it's this world's version of the Glasgow Knightmare, but with better specs overall. The Shinran is the equivalent of the Sutherland, and I named it after a particular Buddhist monk. Points to whoever actually knows the sect of Buddhism he belongs to.

And yes, Suzaku's Knightmare, the Caliburn (the original translation of Excalibur from Welsh, which eventually became Excalibur) is inspired by Nunnally's Knightmare in Nightmare of Nunnally, but I'm also drawing heavily on the Evangelions from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Linebarrel from Kurogane no Linebarrels. Suzaku himself is what I can draw about his younger self, pre-patricide- it seems like he has the same ideals about justice as Lelouch, but the trauma of killing his father caused his views to change. I'm aware that he got the most amount of time here, but what can you do? It's supposed to parallel episode one- next chapter the other characters will get their chance to shine as well. As for what's going on with Lelouch… all things in time, my friends.

Thanks for reading, hope you leave a review, and see you next time!


	2. Chapter 2: The Swordless Soldier

"_The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else."_

_-Umberto Eco _

Chapter 2

The Swordless Soldier

For a long time, he was still, amidst the freshly slain corpses of his enemies, the scent of blood choking the air, slashes of angry crimson staining the walls. Time no longer mattered to him. No sound reached his ears but the sound of his own beating heart, and he saw nothing but the machine-god before him.

The _Caliburn_ stood untouched amidst the seas of red which stained the ground, its' terrible radiance remaining pure even after the slaughter. It turned towards him, and in keeping with its appearance as a ferocious golden knight, it knelt down on one mechanical knee in servitude to him.

_Mine. _

It struck him with awe and wonder, understanding that this unnatural weapon was his to wield, to use for the justice he had desired for so long.

This beast had to have sprung from the obsidian block contained in the truck, just as Euphemia had been. This was the military technology that Kusakabe had planned to bring into the country?

What kind of enemy was the _Caliburn_ supposed to fight? Even just looking at it, he could tell that it was different from other Knightmare Frames- there was something unique, special, about it.

Who could have created it?

The questions mounted, weaving into the dreamlike trance that had settled like an impenetrable fog over his mind.

Only when his grip slackened around the woman in his arms- around Euphie- did the supernatural awe created by the _Caliburn_ break, and Suzaku returned to reality as her body shifted and nearly fell.

With a panicked hurry, he laid her down on the ground and checked the wound, but he already knew the answer- it had gone through her heart, a clean, straight kill.

Suzaku shut his eyes as they began to sting, fingernails digging into the calloused flesh of his palm in self recrimination.

He had survived, but at what cost?

Sounds at the edges of his hearing startled him- more of Kusakabe's men, probably- and, in a panic, Suzaku wondered how he could escape. He didn't want to leave Euphie here- she deserved a proper burial, at least. But how could he carry her and still escape…

There was a pneumatic hiss, the sound of pressurized air escaping, and Suzaku's head jerked up in time to see what had to be the _Caliburn_'s cockpit hatch open up and its hand extend in a makeshift stair.

The meaning was clear, if unspoken.

Deciding that right now was not the best time to question how the machine had guessed his thoughts, Suzaku clambered up the _Caliburn_'s arm, Euphemia in his arms, and though the princess' body was almost feather light, he was still thankful he had kept up a strict training regiment over the years that helped him mount the Knightmare without the use of his hands. As he settled into the cockpit, however, he was distracted as he took in his surroundings.

Suzaku possessed Knightmare training; as the Crown Prince of a conquering empire, he had to. He had been inside the cockpit of both the current Shinran Knightmare Frame and the retired Kukai, and learned how to operate them with a proficiency that he was proud to say even his teacher, Toudou, had commended him on.

The _Caliburn_, however, had a cockpit unlike any other Knightmare he had ever seen. It held only two control yokes, both left and right, which he assumed controlled the arms, and pedals at his feet. The viewscreen was wider than the average Knightmare as well, and beneath it sat only a single meter- an energy counter, he wondered?

However, everything in the cockpit was dark and unlit, and he saw no place to put the activation key like other Knightmares.

"How do I turn this on?" Suzaku wondered, and as if triggered by his words, the cockpit screen flashed a message.

CG-01 _Caliburn_ online. Awaiting orders

Suzaku's eyes widened, and, unconsciously, he let out a slow breath as he spoke uncertainly. "Can… can you respond to my words?"

The response was immediate.

Affirmative

_What kind of machine is this? _Suzaku remembered that voice in his head, promising him power, telling him it would be his.

He glanced down at the girl in his arms.

"Did you do this, Euphie?" he wondered, blinking. After a moment, he remembered that now might not be the best time to ask questions, and said quickly, "_Caliburn_. Close hatch."

As the Knightmare did as he commanded, Suzaku pushed on the controls, easing the machine back into an upright position. He turned to leave, when he spotted one more body on the viewscreen, one had nearly forgotten about.

The boy terrorist, the one who had been driving the truck, twitched- the soldiers had let him go after the _Caliburn_ appeared, sparing him from the indiscriminate slaughter. He was unconscious, and probably wouldn't wake up until long after the soldiers found him.

Suzaku bit his lip. The cockpit was too small to carry more people- and he wanted to hide his identity for right now. Yet he couldn't just leave the boy behind to get picked up by the soldiers, to be tortured and executed.

He'd have to carry him.

Reaching out, the _Caliburn_'s large metal palms scooped up the unconscious terrorist, and then Suzaku turned and led the machine down deeper into the Underground, hoping to find some kind of refuge.

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He was going to _kill_ Suzaku.

Lelouch panted, one hand on his knee, the other trying his best to undo the red tie around his neck. He glanced around- figuring that the terrorists would flee to the Underground, as was their custom, he had gone in after them, hoping Suzaku hadn't gotten too far ahead.

Unfortunately, he had, and now Lelouch was lost in the Underground. To make matters worse, his cell phone signal was being blocked due to being underground.

"Just great," he muttered. "I swear, he's more trouble than he's worth."

"You there!" a voice suddenly barked, and Lelouch whirled about to see a squad of Japanese soldiers closing in on him.

Lelouch raised his arms in the universal sign of surrender, showing them he was unarmed and stepping close enough so they could see he was just a student.

"Is there a problem, sirs?" he asked politely, keeping his head down.

The lead soldier, a dark haired older man with the bars of a Lieutenant on his chest, gave him a stern glare. "This is a restricted area, Brit. What're you doing here?"

"I was skipping school with my friend and we decided to take a shortcut through the Underground, but we got separated," Lelouch responded immediately. "I'm sorry, I know we shouldn't be here…"

The soldiers raised their rifles, and he froze mid sentence.

"Bad luck boy," the lieutenant apologized insincerely. "Even if your story is true, no one is allowed to be here. Orders. So if someone's here…"

The rifles cocked.

Even with fear encroaching over his heart, Lelouch's mind remained as agile as ever. Orders to shoot any intruders on sight could only come from someone high up, someone who wanted a secret here buried. And considering Suzaku hadn't been informed of the situation…

_Damn. Suzaku…_ He could be dead already.

Lelouch cursed himself. He was powerless, and about to die.

-_Empty eyes the same shade as his own, reflecting only death-…_

Lelouch shut his eyes_. _

_ I'm so sorry,_ he whispered silently, and wished he could be forgiven for all the things he had done.

"Get down!"

_A girl? _

In the wake of what was distinctly the shout of a young woman, Lelouch was knocked back down on his ass for the second time that day as the distinctive boom of a Knightmare's rifle tore apart the air, and then soldiers in front of him suddenly disappeared in a haze of blood and dust.

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Even as she pulled the trigger, Shirley admitted this was not the best idea. Her Knightmare was already damaged, at half-energy, and the enemy vastly outnumbered her. Drawing any kind of attention to herself was nothing short of suicide.

And yet the thought of abandoning a fellow Brittanian to die at the hands of those soldiers was simply intolerable.

"Are you alright?" she asked through the speakers, focusing the viewscreen on him. It was dark, but she could see he was a young man, probably around her age, dark haired and pale, wearing a school uniform-

"Shoot," Shirley cursed suddenly, eyes widening. She _knew _that uniform.

If the young man was aware of her discomfort, he failed to show it, gazing almost dispassionately at the bodies of the soldiers.

Seeing his gaze, Shirley added in reassuringly, "Don't worry, they're dead."

"I can see that," he said, and the biting tone in his voice gave her pause, "You shouldn't have killed them."

Shirley blinked at the complaint. Was this guy some kind of idealist?

"They were about to kill you," she reminded him slowly.

"And you killed them." The response was quick and flat, cutting in its toneless nature.

She bristled at his ungrateful, accusatory tone, suddenly irritated at how this whole mess was turning out. "Look, I just saved you. The least you could do is thank me."

He shook his head, hard expression clear, with cold and distant eyes bearing a unique shade of violet she had never seen before. "Killing should be the absolute last resort. You could have frightened them off, or knocked them out. How is indiscriminate killing ever going to get us anywhere?"

His words echoed into the corridors of her mind, recalling some half remembered phrase out of her past.

_"Listen Shirley. Hating others is a poison in your heart. Never let it take hold of you."_

Shirley ignored the words that rang in her head. "What would you know?" she spat, unable to hold back the venom in her voice. "Are you saying we should let them do whatever they want? Do you have any idea what we've lost because of these people?"

His expression flickered, a deep kind of sorrow she had never seen before, with an intensity that caused Shirley to flinch, unable to bear the brunt of the darkness that laid behind those unique amethyst orbs.

"I know what we've lost," he said darkly, "And I know that killing is never going to bring the dead back."

His words stung her to the core. Unable to keep looking at that dark, regretful expression he wore, Shirley looked away, and turned her De Dannan down the tunnel. "Look, I don't have time to argue this. I've got a friend to find. Don't expect me to come back and save you again."

And with that, she left him behind, but his words continued to linger at the edges of her heart.

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Lelouch watched the De Dannan Knightmare go, expression still reminiscent of dark thunderheads gathering on the horizon.

"Killing is an evil thing," he muttered, and knelt at the bodies of the soldiers who had just a few moments ago been prepared to kill him. He shut their eyes in a gesture of respect and condolence, and with an apologetic look, he took the Lieutenant's handheld communicator from the man's body. His cell phone might not work here, but the military's had to.

He could hear scattered chatter- the transmitter was probably on a private channel that was being used specifically for this mission.

"Any word from the Colonel?"

"None yet. Lieutenant Ayano took a squad to go look for him, but they haven't returned."

"Damn. This is all going wrong. Ayano! Lieutenant Ayano! This is Major Minami, Colonel Kusakabe's executive officer. I need the status of you and your men."

Lelouch glanced down at the bodies of the soldiers. The lead one, with the bars of the Lieutenant, must have been the one they were looking for. Frowning, he pocketed the transmitter for now, and started down the tunnel as well, opposite the way that the girl terrorist in the Knightmare had gone.

For now, he would have to wait and listen.

And pray Suzaku was still alive.

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Gino Weinberg was antsy.

He hated being antsy.

"Any word yet?" he asked through the speakers of his De Dannan. He sat in his Knightmare Frame, arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently. Around him, the rest of the detachment from his resistance cell waited at the designated meeting point, in the Underground.

They should have been here by now.

"None yet," his second in command, Kewell Sorsei, answered politely, from the controls of his own Knightmare.

Around them, two more Knightmares stood, accompanied by seven armed men. A small detachment, but their resistance cell was not a large one, and they couldn't afford to risk too many men here.

"How about Lenard's group? Have they made contact?"

Lenard Lubie was one of his lieutenants, an older man who had previously been enlisted in the Brittanian army before the Empire's fall, and was trustworthy enough to command the other detachment from their resistance cell. He was waiting at the secondary meeting site, in case the way to Gino's position became too hot to risk a meeting, and had a detachment of several Knightmares as well.

"I'm afraid not my lord," Kewell replied.

"Kewell, seriously, I'm not a noble anymore. And you're older than me, for Christ's sake. Slack off a little on the whole 'my lord' thing," Gino reminded him, rolling his eyes.

"Brittania's traditions must be upheld. It is all we have left," Kewell answered slowly, keeping his tone level, and Gino sighed.

He wished the man would be a little less straight laced about these sorts of things.

But that was Kewell for you. The man's family had been a minor lordship in the province controlled by the Weinberg's for generations, and as such their families had close ties, and Kewell himself had been raised to show the utmost respect to any member of Gino's family. With the fall of Brittania, many nobles still tried to cling to the old ways, the old grandeur, which included the ideas of fealty.

He had to respect that, in a way. Otherwise, their country might really die out someday.

Suddenly, a blip on the radar.

"Looks like we've got something," Gino said slowly, straightening in his seat, gripping the controls a little tighter. "All units stand by."

"It looks like it's coming from the southern tunnel, sir. Where Fenette and Cardemonde were supposed to come from," Kewell informed him. "Do you believe it's them?"

"We'll see," Gino replied grimly. Shirley was one of their best pilots, and had a good head on her shoulders. Rivalz was less competent but he was eager and willing to risk his life for the cause, something Gino respected. He trusted them to handle this mission, and they trusted him not to waste their lives.

If he had made a mistake, one that got both of them killed…

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think like that- he was the leader, and he had to keep his calm.

What emerged from the shadows of the southern tunnel, however, shook him to his core.

At first, Gino mistook it for a trick of the light, because nothing he knew shined like the sun, especially not this far underground. But as it came into focus, he felt his jaw fall open a little at the sight of the terrible metal creature that burst forth from the shadows.

It was only when Kewell spoke that he regained his senses.

"Sir! It's got Cardemonde!"

Upon realizing that yes, in fact, this strange golden Knightmare did have one of his comrades in its metal grasp, Gino came back to reality, coughing. "You there! In the Knightmare! You have one of my men. Release him, and things don't have to get ugly."

Gino was an exceptional Knightmare pilot, and because of that he had gained kind of a sixth sense about Knightmares. But even he didn't need that to see that if this golden Knightmare decided to attack, chances were his men wouldn't get much of a chance to fight back. Strange new machines, as a rule, were probably pretty dangerous- Gino wasn't some background character in a manga or something who would try to be overconfident and take a shot at something he didn't know anything about.

He just had to pray the pilot didn't want them all to die.

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Suzaku, for his part, was not of a mind to kill them, but rather was stuck on what to do next. Nominally, as the head of the Japanese occupation, he should be arresting these terrorists just on the basis of them possessing illegal equipment such as Knightmares. But right now, he wasn't really the Crown Prince- he was the pilot of an unknown Knightmare Frame. All he had was the power of this machine.

No titles. No restrictions.

Only his justice decided how to use this weapon.

Slowly, Suzaku lowered the _Caliburn_'s arm, depositing the boy on the ground gently. "I mean you no harm," he said slowly, willing the Knightmare's speakers to activate (which they did- he was starting to get used to the synergistic control scheme). "I'm…"

He hesitated, trying to find the right words.

Finally, he settled on one. "… a friend."

"A friend huh?" said the De Dannan who spoke before, as several of his men went forward and collected the unconscious boy. His tone was dubious. "Then tell me, friend- there was a girl that was supposed to be with him. Where is she?"

Suzaku paused at that, remembering that De Dannan he saw battling the army back on the streets. "I think she was piloting a Knightmare. She was trying to buy time for this one to escape."

He heard a curse from the De Dannan, before another question. "And the cargo?"

Here, Suzaku was at a conundrum. They clearly had no idea what they were stealing, just that it was new military technology. If he tried to explain that this was the cargo, and that it consisted of a lost Brittanian princess and a Knightmare that responded to mental and verbal commands…

Well, any chance of trust would, at the least, be shot to hell.

"It was a trap," Suzaku lied, and cursed himself a little for it. "The truck was empty. They were just using it to lure out terrorists."

A louder curse this time.

"How can we believe you?" the man in the other Knightmare asked. "For all we know you knocked out our guy, killed the girl, and took it."

At that, the other two Knightmares visibly tensed, both of them shifting, ready to open fire if he should prove hostile.

"You don't have to," Suzaku said coolly. "But I have nothing to gain from lying to you or destroying you."

He didn't want this to turn into a battle. These people hadn't done anything wrong, unlike Kusakabe's men.

Finally, the leader in the De Dannan relented.

"Well, I pride myself on not being a cliché, and fighting a strange machine I know nothing about definitely qualifies, so I'll take your word for it," he said lightly, audibly chuckling. "I'd rather not die like a nameless mook, thank you."

Suzaku blinked, and chuckled back. _What an interesting guy._

"Thanks for your help. We'll just have to keep looking for the other one," he continued, and the De Dannan even managed a tiny jerk of its head to acknowledge him. The terrorists gathered up their fallen comrade and began turning away-

When the western wall exploded, and two Shinran Knightmare Frames poured on through, and everything went to hell.

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Major Yoshitaka Minami was what most people expected in the executive officer of Colonel Kusakabe. He was quiet to the point of taciturn, with a heavy set jaw and glasses that gave him a perpetual stern look, matching his commander's husky build in terms of weight, but being several inches taller. In another life, he was the head of the Black Knight's secret corps, a job he excelled at by being so distinctly ordinary that people often overlooked him.

It was the same here. Colonel Kusakabe was a politician masquerading as a military officer until he was decorated enough to advance to a political office. Minami was his second, and as such he handled all the "ordinary" military organizational duties while the Colonel schemed.

Which was why, even with the chain of command falling to him as contact was lost with the Colonel and the Governor, he remained firm, guiding the military from the government building.

"HQ. HQ. This is _Hi_-Four."

Minami leaned forward. In front of him stood the communications equipment, where the voice had emanated from. There was a large tactical screen that dominated the wall, displaying IFF tags from Knightmare Frames and infantry that were sweeping the Underground. He pressed down on a button. "Go ahead _Hi-_Four. We have you."

"We've found Colonel Kusakabe sir. He's KIA, along with the rest of the command squad, including the Knightmare attachment. Looks like some kind of Knightmare Frame's edge weapon."

He cursed audibly, rubbing the bridge of his nose- an old habit from childhood he'd never quite broken. "Recover the bodies."

"Understood sir. _Hi-_Four out."

Minami sighed, and shut his eyes briefly in respect for the dead. He might not have called the Colonel friend, but a soldier of Japan was a soldier of Japan.

Then he opened his eyes, and switched communication channels, to the army open channel.

"All units, Colonel Kusakabe is K.I.A.. Henceforth I will be taking overall strategic command of our forces in the area. Companies _Hi_ and _Mizu_ are to surround all nearby exits to the Underground. Companies _Ki,_ _Kage,_ and_ Kawa_, you will sweep the Underground and find the insurgents. If they surrender, take them into custody. Terminate any others who resist."

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For a brief moment, Suzaku was frozen, even as all around him, chaos reigned. He saw everything in slow motion- the Brittanian terrorists were unmoving, too caught off guard to react as the dust and debris settled over the Japanese Knightmares.

The leader in the De Dannan yelled for them to get cover, even as the Japanese raised their weapons to slaughter them all.

He reacted without thinking, and the _Caliburn _crossed the space between him and the Japanese Knightmares in an instant, slashing off the arms of the nearest Shinran Knightmare with its massive longsword. As the metal limbs toppled to the ground, Suzaku shifted his machine and slammed its shoulder into the Shinran, crumpling the torso and causing it to crash backwards, unmoving. The cockpit hatch opened, and the pilot, bleeding but alive, stumbled out.

"Move!" he barked at the terrorists, who scattered to avoid being caught in the crossfire. His attention was diverted, however, as the remaining Japanese Knightmare raised its own rifle.

Gritting his teeth, Suzaku ducked the _Caliburn_ down, moving in familiar patterns, skills he had learned at the feet of Toudou Kyoshiro, as he slashed through the torso of the Shinran, intentionally avoiding the cockpit, letting the pilot escape his ruined machine.

It was over in seconds, just as it had begun.

"Run," Suzaku growled at the pilots of both machines, who fled quickly, lest they fall into the unforgiving hands of the terrorists.

As they departed, some of the Brittanians started to move on after them, but Suzaku cut them off by pivoting the _Caliburn_'s head towards them, its eyes a pulsating, ferocious red that neatly stopped them in their tracks.

"Leave them be. They're unarmed," Suzaku commanded roughly, over the speakers.

The men opened their mouths to protest, but a sudden noise from the leader's De Dannan cut them off.

"Wow," the De Dannan's operator said, guffawing with a clear mixture of admiration and disbelief. "You're a hell of an interesting guy, you know that man? You're not a rebel and you're sure as shootin' not part of the government. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm a friend," Suzaku repeated, and grinned in the cockpit, full of a dangerous kind of elation, the relishing of freedom mixed with the invincibility of youth. It was heady, almost addicting.

A quick glance down at the body of Euphemia, who still laid in his lap, brought him back to reality. This was real. People could, and probably would die.

"Right, right," the other man said amusedly. "Alright, well, friend, my name's Gino. I figure a name's good payment for saving me and my men. Now we gotta get ourselves moving- those guys you just spared will be back with some buddies."

"Ah, right, Gino…" Suzaku paused- he couldn't tell them his name, which was not only clearly Japanese but shared by the Emperor of Japan himself. On a sudden impulse, he spoke. "I can't tell you my name right now, but I'll do you one better- I'll help you and your men get out of here."

Once again, there was a dumbfounded silence, and then Gino barked out another laugh.

"Damn! You really are an interesting guy," he muttered, more to himself than anything else. "Well, I say never look a gift horse in the mouth. We gotta sweep through and find the other guy I sent on this job first though. I won't leave her behind. I'll have my other men split into squads A and B to sweep the tunnels, so if you don't mind helping…"

Suzaku smiled at that, and knew he'd made the right choice.

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The final bell rang, and an annoyed C.C. stalked out of the classroom with a look on her face that sent every poor student unfortunate enough to cross her path scattering like autumn leaves in the wind.

_That idiot… he's gone to see Suzaku again._

Every time they met she wondered if he was really so reckless as to think clandestine meetings with the Prince of a hostile empire was safe, but this time was… different.

Something about today felt wrong to her… some pricking on the edges of her expanded consciousness that came with being a Code Bearer. She had wondered if it was V.V., because it felt almost like the presence of another being like herself, but if felt too weak and too different to be that.

It was almost a Code Bearer… but not. It made no sense to her, however, and that bothered her more than anything else.

Whatever it was, she didn't like the fact that Lelouch was out of her sight and this presence had entered her senses.

Her foul, fuming mood, a sharp contrast to her usual cool, sarcastic nature, did not go unnoticed amongst the student body, who took great notice of her and Lelouch, as two (seemingly) teenagers of the opposite sex who lived together under one roof and went to the same school and who were not blood related.

"Must be mad her boyfriend ran off without her…"

"Shh, don't say that too loud!"

C.C. scowled.

_You owe me big time, Lelouch._

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In a different world, Shirley Fenette would have been your average high school girl, modest and kind and pure, innocent to a degree that was almost unthinkable, caught up in the breathtaking, heart stopping world of first love even as the world around her went through tumultuous wars and crises.

But that's a different story.

"Goddamnit!" Shirley cursed, and swerved her De Dannan around, raising her sole remaining arm and firing off a quick burst from her stolen assault rifle at her pursuers.

After encountering that crazy idealist student, Shirley had managed to avoid detection for a while, but as she turned the last intersection she came face to face with a full Knightmare Squad- five Shinran Frames. With no way of going head to head with them and doing anything more than dying, she chose to fire at the ceiling and flee, using the chaos to try and evade them.

One of them must have gotten disabled in the confusion, but four remained and they were hot on her trail, using a staggered formation in the tight corridor of the Underground in order to avoid being mowed down by a single burst, strafing defensively as they did so.

With her Knightmare already missing an arm and both Stun Tonfas, things were bad enough… and that wasn't even factoring in her precarious amount of energy left- less than half an hour.

She was in deep.

"Piss off!" Shirley swore virulently, firing her rifle again, basically from the hip- her aim was terribly off, but she wasn't too concerned with actually hitting anything so much as keeping them from hitting _her._

Three of them scattered without taking a shot, but the fourth, a more skilled pilot than the rest, remained unshaken after the attack and took aim.

Shirley bit off another unladylike curse and twisted her De Dannan, but even that movement couldn't completely evade the attack, and the enemy Shinran scored an indirect hit on her Knightmare's chest, shaking it badly.

The minute the shaking stopped and her equilibrium was regained, Shirley glanced over the readouts with a practiced eye- nothing severely damaged, thank God, but her armor was definitely not going to take another hit like that. If she had taken it head on, she'd probably be dead already.

With that in mind, Shirley took a sharp right turn at the next diverging of tunnels she could find, all the while making sure to keep the enemy Knightmares in front of her- no need to give them an easy shot at her back, plus it allowed her to shoot back instead of just fleeing.

It did little good to keep them in front, however, as the enemy Knightmares regrouped rapidly and were gaining on her again, moving in the same pattern as before to avoid her incoming fire. To add to that, her energy meter had just dropped another precarious bar, leaving it in the last minutes of its activation time, and her assault rifle was down to its last clip.

Not too many options left then. Shirley glanced at the underside of the left control panel, where, just beyond a collapsible panel, laid the keypad for the self destruct sequence. It would ignite the remaining Sakuradite in her Knightmare and create a catastrophic explosion that would probably take out at least one or two of her pursuers.

"Sorry papa," she apologized softly, sounding more like a little girl than a battle hardened pilot. "I couldn't avenge you…"

With a tiny sigh of regret, Shirley reached out for the self destruct pad-

When the Knightmare furthest to the back of the squad exploded, and a familiar voice called out over Shirley's communication channel.

"Well look at this!" Gino whooped, the grin on his face practically audible. "Appears we got here just in the nick of time. What does that make us, Kewell?"

"Big damn heroes sir," Kewell answered dutifully.

"Ain't we just," Gino said with a chuckle. "You alright there, Shirley?"

"You're late commander," Shirley quipped back, smiling dizzily in relief at the sight of her comrades, which morphed into surprise as a golden blur darted in amidst the remaining three Shinran Knightmares.

The thing moved so fast that it took Shirley a few seconds to realize it was another Knightmare- the movements were so fluid and agile that it seemed almost organic, a far cry from her own machine, which now seemed laughably backwards in comparison.

The first Shinran didn't even have time to bring its weapon to bear, and was handily sliced apart by a single sweep of the golden Knightmare's blade. The second fell a scant few seconds later to a downward slash as the Knightmare twisted in a flowing motion that made Shirley green with envy at the ability of this other pilot and his machine.

The third enemy Knightmare actually managed to bring its rifle to bear and attempt to disengage from close combat, and let loose with a torrent of fire.

Unfortunately for the Japanese soldier, the bullets were simply ineffective, and the golden Knightmare moved through the barrage as though it were a light spring rain, bringing its blade to bear in a single powerful thrust that went straight on through, silencing the last enemy machine.

"Wow…" Shirley sucked in a slow, amazed breath. As the operator of a Knightmare Frame herself, she could clearly see how powerful the unique weapon in front of her was just from that short display of power.

"This is a new friend of ours, Shirley!" Gino said, interrupting her stupor. "He's kinda mysterious, but hey, he's handy in a fight."

Shirley blinked at the offhand introduction- not even a name?

"Commander, you're too easygoing!" she scolded irritably, rolling her eyes as she switched to one of their private channels that the group had encrypted solely for their own use. "This guy could be an enemy spy!"

"True, but I didn't really have the time to waste trying to fight this guy. I think you've noticed but I'm pretty sure our De Dannan's wouldn't be much of a match for that thing," Gino replied easily. "I'd rather not waste the lives of my men fighting a guy that might honestly be trying to help on simple suspicion."

"One day that soft nature of yours is going to get you in trouble, and I won't be there to get you out of it," Shirley warned, but there was a tone of resigned acceptance in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Gino said dismissively, and switched back to the regular channel. "All units, Squad A has located our missing girl. And with that, ladies and gents, our next step is to get the hell out of here and back to the safe house.

"Shirley, we've got an extra power pack and ammunition- take it and then move to the center of our formation. Kewell, you take the rear guard, and send word to Squad B and Lenard's group to pull out as well and meet us back at the usual place. Goldilocks, you mind taking point?"

There was a brief pause.

"Goldilocks?" came the pilot of the golden machine's bewildered voice.

"What, don't like it?" Gino said cheekily.

"This Knightmare's name is _Caliburn_," came the grumpy reply, but the pilot moved up to the front as requested.

"Right, right," Gino said, shaking his head. "Shirley, you all set?"

"Yes sir."

He grinned. "Alrighty. All units, let's bust some skulls and head on home then."

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Onizuka Ekichi would have, if he had a choice, not have enlisted in the Japanese Army. Unfortunately, with the empire's ever growing militaristic nature, universities became looked upon as frivolous past times for the privileged and those with particular talents the empire would want refined, like the engineers and chemists. For those who lived in the colonial territories, it was doubly so, and someone who barely scraped by high school didn't have much chance of getting into even the lower level universities.

So, here he was, a lowly private in the _Mizu_ Company of that jackass Kusakabe's personal Knightmare division, and not even a pilot jockey, but a lowly grunt on foot, keeping the perimeter secure so that no curious (read: idiotic) civilians would come wandering in and get themselves killed in a crossfire.

He yawned, and leaned idly against the side of one of the buildings off the street, glancing idly behind him…

And straightened as quickly as he could, sighting a flash of movement. He opened his mouth irritably, ready to tell the idiot off-

When he suddenly realized the person approaching him was a girl. A hot girl, at that, with pale legs stretching out seemingly endlessly from beneath the skirt of a school uniform. Her hair, unusually enough, was green, which struck him as odd, but who was he to question the fashion choices of girls today? Besides, it looked pretty nice on her…

"Excuse me miss," Onizuka said, with his best 'soldier' voice- the ladies loved men in uniform, after all- "I'm afraid it's pretty dangerous here. Terrorists. You should go back."

"Oh really, is that so?" she said, all wide eyed, a pout in her lips that made her look irresistible to his eyes. "How scary. What are they doing here?"

"Ah, it's all good, sweet cheeks. I'll protect you," Onizuka said passionately, eyeing her stunning figure which was accentuated nicely by her uniform- and damn, if he didn't have a thing for girls in school uniforms to begin with.

He was so caught up in it he missed the annoyed expression that briefly crossed her face as he continued speaking.

"Just between the two of us," he added conspiratorially, leaning in, "They apparently killed the Colonel."

"Oh no!" the girl said, shocked, voice reaching an alto. "How frightening!"

"Yeah," Onizuka nodded, crossing his arms, doing his best to seem official. "I'm pretty high up, so I just got the intel. Apparently those terrorists stole some kind of technology or something, and the Colonel tried to get it back personally."

"Any idea what it is?" if he hadn't been so concerned with trying to get in good with her, Onizuka might have noticed how her tone had changed from that of a frightened schoolgirl to a serious questioner.

"It's classified, I'm afraid," Onizuka said, feigning reluctance as he scratched the back of his head in a manner he thought made him look mysterious and alluring.

"So you're useless then."

"Yeah, I- wait, what-" was all he had time for before the girl raised her leg high in the air _(white,_ he noted absently, as though he were only an observer) and delivered a powerful axe kick straight to his shoulder, sending him crashing down to the floor unceremoniously.

His last thought before he fell unconscious was that he should probably quit the army.

Maybe become a teacher or something.

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"God, what an idiot," C.C. muttered, stepping over the soldier's unconscious body with a wrinkled nose as though she had smelled a particularly pungent odor.

This was where the signal in her sixth sense, that unnamed change in her consciousness that was the result of gaining her Code, was coming from- it was still weak, but growing stronger by the moment. It was definitely not another Code Bearer, or a Geass user, but… similar. There was an inconsistency that really bothered her, especially since nothing in her experience could have that kind of effect- and since she had spent a number of years as the head of the Geass Order, before passing the leadership to V.V., that raised serious questions about whatever was down here.

V.V… now that was a name that provoked questions about this strange signal. The chances of him having a hand in this were fairly high, given that it would have to be related to Geass in some capacity, but she had no way of contacting him, and no wish to, for that matter.

Some things weren't worth the price.

Besides, there were more pressing issues at stake here.

_Ten dollars Lelouch is down there too, along with his friend_, C.C. thought grimly, rolling her eyes. It was just too much of a coincidence that there was some strange signal that appeared at the same time as Lelouch being out of her sight. Even if the chances were slim, C.C. knew fate and contrivance would never pass up such an opportunity.

Sometimes being genre savvy had its downsides, in particular when it came time to rescue her supposedly smart, more often than not idiotic, charge.

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"zzz… Lost contact with Hachibe and Matsumi… zzz unknown contacts…"

"Insurrectionist forces at coordinates-"

"Say again _Ki-_Three_._ We do not have you. Damn this place- communications are a mess."

"We just found Hachibe and Matsumi's Knightmares. They're a wreck, but I don't see any sign of their bodies, so-"

"-they're here!"

"Damn it, how did they get here so fast!"

"They're too many!"

"Hold the line men! The Emperor curse your bones, stand firm and- ARGH"

"Shit he got the Captain!"

"God, what the hell is that-"

Lelouch frowned as he continued listening to the communiqués flying back and forth on the channel.

The resistance forces were quite powerful, it seemed- despite their smaller numbers, they had superior weapons and cohesion, cutting through unprepared Japanese forces like a hot knife through butter. There were at least two different groups as well, obviously keeping contact with each other as to avoid letting themselves get trapped and destroyed.

Without any central leadership, the Japanese military was simply incapable of mounting an effective counterattack, wide open to be destroyed by a force that was dedicated and concentrated enough.

It was the basics of warfare. Even the best equipment and toughest soldiers couldn't compensate for a lack of strategy.

At this rate, Suzaku would probably be captured or killed by the Brittanians, who would undoubtedly capitalize on finding the Crown Prince alone and undefended in the Underground.

Lelouch felt his throat dry up and constrict. His best friend, dead.

No way in hell.

But just contacting the army and telling them wouldn't be enough. The word of a Brittanian wouldn't be worth much to the army, and especially if they ran a background check on him and discovered his true identity. Besides, admitting Suzaku was here would draw questions, questions that he wouldn't have minded if it was only his life that would be at risk…

No. If Suzaku was going to make it out of this alive… the military would have to drive them off. But without any kind of leadership, that was impossible.

With a deep, reluctant sigh, Lelouch made a decision.

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Sugiyama Kento, like his superior officer, Minami, was, in another life, a member of the Black Knights, as Captain of the Special Division. In this life, he happened to be a Lieutenant, in charge of the remnants of _Ki _Company after his Captain, Takeshi, had been killed by the insurrectionist forces a few minutes ago. His Company was practically out of commission by this point, with more than half their Knightmares destroyed in combat with the enemy already.

"zzz… to the commander of this company…"

Kento blinked. What in the…

"I say again. To the commander of the company which just skirmished with the insurrectionist forces. Please relay your coordinates and the last known coordinates of the enemy force."

"What the… who is this?" Kento demanded, bewildered. "Identify yourself."

"My name isn't important. What is important, is that I'm about to make you a hero."

_ A hero?_ Kento blinked._ What kind of crazy idiot is on the channel? _

"Listen, you've all but lost the battle. But if you listen to me, I promise you, you'll walk away from this disaster smelling like roses."

Kento scowled. "Like I'm going to risk the lives of my men on the word of a nameless stranger. What's in it for you?"

"I'd rather not see you lose," came the icy response. "But if you don't believe me, here's a tip on good faith- I'd suggest you pull back into the tunnel that you just came from. Judging from the previous reports, one of the enemy's squads is about to come straight through there in less than five minutes, and if you wait and stand perfectly still, you'll catch them off guard."

There was a heartbeat of silence as Kento struggled between his suspicions and weighing just what would happen if this mysterious voice was right. Finally, he switched channels, contacting the other two Knightmares in his squad.

"Alright, let's pull back for a second," he muttered reluctantly. "But keep your eyes on our six… in case this guy is trying to trick us into an ambush."

The other members of his team voiced their acknowledgment, and settled in a triangle pattern that let them cover each other's blind spots. After a few minutes had passed, a beep on the motion tracker caught Kento's attention.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered under his breath, "That guy was right."

Sure enough, after another minute of bated breath, two enemy De Dannan Knightmares crossed their path, and would have had a perfect view of their backs if Kento hadn't pulled back as he was bid.

"Quietly," he ordered, voice as subdued as possible so as not to attract attention as he and the other members of his squad raised their rifles and let loose. The resulting barrage caught both De Dannan's square in the back, destroying them before they likely could even realize they had come under fire.

Moments after they had destroyed the enemy, Kento switched back onto the army open channel.

"Just as I predicted, wasn't it?" said the mysterious voice again, undeniably smug.

"Who the hell are you?" Kento muttered disbelievingly.

"Like I said, it's not important," the voice said dismissively, with a tone that sounded almost imperious, the tone of a man who was used to having orders obeyed. "What is important is that there's a larger enemy force that just blew past one of your Knightmare squads. I need you to get me online with your commanding officer, so that I can help you coordinate a counterattack."

After a few moments of consideration, Kento finally sighed. "Give me a second."

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Minami sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly as the reports continued to come in, all telling him the same thing. The resistance forces were unexpectedly well armed and decimating their forces.

_Ki_ Company was reduced to less than half of its operational strength while _Mizu_ Company had gotten lost in the Underground and would be unable to link up with the others in time to matter. _Kage_ Company had taken the fewest losses thus far, but that was probably because they were firmly behind the enemy force and unable to catch up at their current pace. If only _Ki_ could organize and halt the numerically lesser insurrectionists, _Kage _could hammer them, but it looked like _Ki _was all but in ruins.

"What a disaster," he muttered, closing his eyes. The homeland would not be happy about this… and with the Colonel dead, that someone would likely be him. "Where the hell is the prince at a time like this?"

Young and idealistic though Prince Suzaku was, at least with him heading up this operation the Imperial Council wouldn't be quite so quick with their rebuke. But a lowly Major without a noble lineage and supporters? They'd pounce on him as a scapegoat faster than you could blink. There would be tribunals, investigations, and at the least, they'd strip him of his rank and send him off to a backwater outpost, if not flat out dishonorably discharging him for gross incompetence.

"zzz… HQ…"

Minami paused in his recriminations, and looked back up at the communication's array. Someone was attempting to hail him over a private channel. After a moment, he realized he recognized the identification number.

"What is it Kento?" Minami asked, falling back on the familiar use of his name- Kento was an old friend ever since Basic, and the two were as close as military regulations would allow, given the difference in rank.

"… you're not going to believe this," Kento said slowly, a reluctant tone in his voice that made Minami especially nervous. "Hell, I don't really. But there's this guy… well, you'd better talk to him yourself."

A third voice entered the channel. "I take it you must be the commanding officer. Major Minami, is that correct?"

Minami blinked, not recognizing the voice, which worried him, especially considering he knew the voices of most of the ranking officers. "Who is this?" he double checked the identification number, matching a name to it after a few moments of mental searching. "You're using Lieutenant Ayano's transmitter, but I take it you're not him."

"I am not," the voice admitted. "The Lieutenant was dead by the time I found him. I took the liberty of borrowing this device in order to communicate with you."

"He's asking to take temporary strategic command of our operations, Major," Kento stepped in, knowing how absurd it would sound coming from a stranger's voice alone. "I know it sounds crazy, but he just saved the lives of me and my squad, and if his intel is right, we might just be able to win yet."

"He saved you?" Minami asked disbelievingly. "How?"

"I gave the Lieutenant some instructions, he followed them, and won a bloodless victory. One of the few in this engagement so far, if I'm not mistaken," the voice added, and Minami scowled at the veiled rebuke in those words. "That's all I'm asking. To direct your troops. At the current rate, you'll be routed without doing any significant damage to their forces anyhow. I can promise you that this battle will not end in your defeat."

For a brief moment, Minami was overcome with relief, visions of his career being rescued from the wrath of a full military tribunal, before he regained his senses. "And what do you want with such a generous offer?"

The voice paused, as though not expecting the question.

"Nothing, my dear Major," came the reply, after a moment. "I want nothing but your victory. Your victory benefits me. That is all you need to know."

Minami sighed. It was true that their forces were only really lacking a strong strategy to oppose the insurrectionists; superior numbers and supplies were still on their side, after all. If this man could really change the tide of battle-

What the hell was he saying? Listening to a mysterious voice, whose face and name he didn't even know? Something about that seemed… silly. Almost as silly as if he was taking orders from a man in a mask or something.

Yeah, there was a laugh.

"You give your orders through me. If I even think you're double crossing us, we're done, and I'll hunt you down with our remaining forces. Got it?" Minami said threateningly.

"Fair enough. We are in agreement then, Major," the voice said, seemingly amused and not at all off put by the aggressive stance he was putting on. "Now, if you would give me a situation report, please."

After a moment of wary hesitation, Minami gave in to his request, albeit with a reluctant sigh.

"_Ki_ Company, under Lieutenant Sugiyama, is down to half its strength but is currently engaging the enemy off and on. _Kage_ Company is behind them, but unless _Ki _Company can hold them back the enemy will break through and _Kage _Company won't be able to reinforce them. The rest of our forces are guarding the perimeter or are otherwise too far away to engage."

The voice was silent for a few moments. "Give me a moment to think of a battle plan." Without waiting for a reply, the channel went dead.

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Lelouch clicked off the communication button with a deep sigh, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Negotiating was unexpectedly tiring, not to mention having to constantly study, analyze, and direct the flow of battle.

He sighed again. He didn't particularly like it, having to order men to kill other men- something about it just didn't sit that well with him. Maybe once upon a time he could have done it with impunity, in another life, in a different place, but since that day death wasn't something he could treat so lightly anymore.

But it had to be done, and he had to keep up the act of a cold blooded strategist to see it through. Directing the Japanese troops was the only way he could see to completely ensure Suzaku's safety. He was sure that, if found, Suzaku would find a way to excuse his presence… as long as he was found unharmed.

Which meant Lelouch would have to do something he never thought he'd ever do, and utilize his talents towards war. He shut his eyes, and began to think.

The only force currently engaging the enemy was near decimated and their reinforcements needed time to catch up, time they simply did not have. Judging from previous skirmishes, the enemy's battle strength was considerable, and their small numbers probably meant that they were all accustomed to fighting alongside each other, and wouldn't break easily. Taking them head on with the remaining forces would be suicide, but if they could be circumvented, and the superior numbers of the Japanese forces could come into play…

The shape of a plan began to form in his mind.

"Time to go back to work," Lelouch muttered reluctantly.

000000

"We've got incoming fire!" Gino barked, and his men scattered as a hail of bullets from two Shinran Knightmares seemingly materialized out of the darkness of a nearby tunnel, retreating before they regained their senses.

"Goddamnit! That makes three of those guys ambushing us from the corners and running away!" Shirley muttered, swerving her Knightmare from formation. "I'm sick of this!"

"Hold it Shirley!" Gino ordered. "They're trying to lure us into an ambush. Stay in formation, and keep pushing. We need it to make the rally point out of here. Kewell! Anything on Squad B?"

"None since they went under fire, sir," Kewell reported quietly, keeping a careful eye on his motion tracker. "Lenard's group has taken fire as well sir. One Knightmare destroyed, two killed, and three times as many wounded. Same tactics of hit and run, bait and switch."

"Damn it," he cursed, and ran a hand through his blonde hair irritably. Those were good men who died, men who he sent off to get killed. "Why the hell is the enemy suddenly smart all of a sudden?"

"Something's different," the golden machine-_ Caliburn_- commented darkly, through its loudspeakers. "They've switched tactics. Somebody new is in charge."

"Is it that Colonel?" Gino questioned, glancing towards their mysterious ally.

"I killed him before I linked up with all of you. It's not him. Half the reason it's been so easy so far is because their command structure is shot all to hell," came the distracted reply, and the off-hand mention of killing the top ranking Japanese military officer gave them all pause.

"Wait, you already killed Kusakabe?" Gino blinked.

There was a pause as the pilot of the other machine must have realized he hadn't explained that before. "Oh… yeah. It was while I was rescuing your blue-haired friend."

"Jesus, that's kind of an important thing to forget telling us!" Gino said loudly, more out of shock than indignation. After another moment, he shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "Well, if it's not him… I dunno. That prince maybe?"

There was a strangled cough, and Gino turned a curious eye towards the _Caliburn_. "I say something funny?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," came the quick reply. "I don't think it's him either though."

"Well, whoever he is, he's good," Gino muttered. "We keep getting pushed back- they're not doing any damage, but they're costing us time we don't have."

"What's the plan then, boss?" Shirley asked worriedly.

"We break on through," he replied. "Next time they show up, we charge em, send them scattering, and pray they're not setting up an ambush- so far we've held back and haven't taken the bait, so I'm hoping they'll slack off a bit. Goldilocks, since you seem to laugh their bullets off, I hope you don't mind leading that."

"It's not- oh, alright," the _Caliburn_'s pilot said grumpily, and it seemed as though his Knightmare itself was sulkily slouching to the fore.

000000

"_Ki-_Two here. Enemy forces at sector three are moving towards the coordinates you specified earlier, sir."

"Understood, _Ki-_Two. Good work." Minami switched over to the private channel he had set aside specifically for the mysterious, faceless strategist, to keep the rank and file from knowing they were taking orders from a complete unknown. "Alright, they're moving as you predicted. What next?"

It took a moment for the voice to respond. "Blow the tunnels that we know the enemy will be attempting to use. Force them back. They'll have no choice but to follow along with my scenario after that. Have your other Companies proceed as I ordered earlier, and the trap will be set."

Minami blinked, and was taken aback. Frowning, he said doubtfully, "The damage to the surrounding area, particularly the aboveground…"

"Is acceptable, is it not? You've cleared out this area, or so I thought, meaning that the only harm will be to bits of concrete. Or would you rather lose more men and be deported back to your homeland?" the voice interrupted coolly, a trace of irritation in his voice.

Minami bristled at the condescending nature of his tone, but couldn't exactly find a reason to disagree- there were plenty of commanders in the Japanese Army who wouldn't hesitate on such an order.

"Fine," he muttered, and switched off the line.

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"We're blocked off here too boss!" Shirley reported frustratedly, retreating back down the tunnel with a groan.

"That makes three. Lenard's group reports encountering collapsed tunnels as well, my lord," Kewell reported, furrowing his brow. "We're being funneled into a trap."

Gino bit his lip, having come to the same conclusion. He said nothing as he processed the information, willing himself to come up with an answer, and finding only frustration. He was a good soldier and a decent field commander, if he was being honest, but what they were up against now was a strategist who clearly knew what he was doing. Gino could think on his feet, but in depth stratagems were beyond him.

"Should we try linking up with the others? If we were all together…" Shirley trailed off, letting the rest of her sentence go unsaid.

"It's too risky," Gino said grimly, frowning. "We'd have to fight our way past their reinforcements and find a secure meeting point that they wouldn't overrun, and the amount of time we'd lose… it just wouldn't work."

"If we can't run or hide, our only option is to break through," offered the pilot of that golden machine, who had been moved to the rear to cover the flanks while Shirley and Kewell had been scouting ahead.

"We're down to four Knightmares, one of which is operating at limited capacity," Kewell pointed out. "Add to that the fact that our men on foot have to carry Cardemonde and don't have any anti-Knightmare weaponry of their own, so if we try to run we'll end up leaving them behind without any anti-armor support and a man down already."

"But like he said, it's our only option," Gino cut in, sounding older than his years, tired and grey. "Shirley, take the center. Kewell, the rear. Goldilocks and I will take the front. We'll move as slowly as possible to accommodate our men on foot."

They had just one advantage- that special Knightmare Goldilocks was piloting was overwhelmingly powerful, maybe powerful enough to cut a swath through the remaining enemy forces that he and his men could use to get the hell out of this FUBAR-ed mess. It occurred to Gino that he was putting the lives of not just himself but his entire squad in the hands of someone whose face he didn't even know, but the alternatives were just that bad.

Wow. He'd really dug them in deep for that to be the case.

That decided it. He was done taking intelligence reports about powerful technology. Let someone else's cell risk their ass next time the Empire decided to ship over some new toys.

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Suzaku trudged the _Caliburn_ to the front with a furrowed brow, carefully balancing Euphemia's still body against him, making doubly sure she wouldn't fall.

His thoughts were fixed on who they were fighting against. He remembered Colonel Kusakabe's second, a bespectacled, quiet man with a stern look- was he leading this operation? If it was, Suzaku reflected, then the man had been hiding surprising talents to only be a major subordinate to Kusakabe.

Whatever the reason for the increasing resistance, it mattered less than getting these people out of here alive.

If he hadn't been so caught up in his thoughts, he might have noticed that Euphemia's body was getting warmer, not colder, as the dead normally would, and that her chest began a faint rise and fall that most certainly indicated breathing.

As it was, he gunned the _Caliburn_ forward, eyes sweeping the monitors of his Knightmare, especially the motion tracker. And if his attention had been any less diligent to this task, if he had been distracted, he would have missed the slight flicker on the monitor, and as a result would not have been prepared when the first Shinran Knightmare rounded the corner, blade upraised as he pushed his machine as hard and fast as he could, sealing the distance between them in an instant.

It was over before the other pilot even had time react, still fully confident he would have the upper hand against the insurrectionists- Suzaku's blade punched straight through the surprised Shinran Knightmare, destroying it before anyone else in the group had time to draw breath.

There was no time for congratulations, however, because the other Knightmare's partner was just rounding the corner, and even Suzaku, wielding the unnatural speed of the _Caliburn,_ couldn't turn quite fast enough and bring his blade to bear before the new enemy opened fire. Instead, Suzaku pulled the Knightmare into a blocking position, tacking the barrage head on, the _Caliburn_'s unnatural golden armor easily repelling the attack, buying Gino's Knightmare the scant seconds necessary to aim and fire, blowing the Shinran Knightmare away.

Suzaku waited with bated breath for the next blip on the motion tracker, but it never came.

"Nice moves," Gino complimented idly, though the activation of his Knightmare's sensory equipment, ubiquitously referred to as a Factsphere to describe both form and function in a single word, indicated that he was paying far more attention to incoming signals than he was the conversation.

Suzaku ignored the compliment, both out of a cultural desire for modesty and the fact that he felt it unnecessary to reply, an almost unconscious throwback to his imperial upbringing.

"There should have been more of them," Suzaku said quietly, frowning. "If they were trying to lead us into an ambush…"

"So what, they were just doing hit and runs and blowing smoke without actually having the firepower to back it up?" Gino said skeptically. "They're just stalling then."

"We did destroy most of their force in our earlier skirmishes," Kewell noted, but his voice was doubtful.

"They're probably trying to hinder us so that they can regroup and have their reinforcements hit us from behind," Gino replied grimly, shaking his head. "We'd better get moving. If we hurry we can make the rally point before their reinforcements catch up."

"Yes, my lord."

"Got it boss."

As he pushed the _Caliburn_ forward, still keeping the point position in the formation, Suzaku reflected how very impressed he was with the rebel leader- whereas the homeland tended to paint insurgents as hate filled, grizzled fanatics who were only concerned with self-gratification and mindless murder, this Gino was young, sharp, and showed more concern for his men that he'd ever seen Kusakabe express in the years he'd spent working with the man.

_The empire is corrupt_, he reminded himself grimly, tightening his mouth into a severe line as he glanced down once again at Euphemia. He knew that fact better than most. Kusakabe's incident was just the newest addition to a long list of crimes.

That was why he chose to help these people. They had their land, their freedom, and their identity stripped away by his own people- as a prince of such a corrupt nation, was it not his job to set things to rights?

That was his justice.

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"_Ki-_Five has been lost, HQ."

Minami sighed. So that guy was right, again. They had realized the weakness of First Company, and how there was really nothing standing between them and freedom, and were now making a breakthrough down the tunnels remaining open to them.

Remarkable. Such accurate foresight, borderline precognizant, even. Whoever this guy was, he was a general beyond anything Minami had ever witnessed in his entire military career.

"Good work _Ki_ Company. You've done enough, now pull out to your standby position and wait. All remaining units, you have your orders. From here on in we're activating the jammers- communications will be down until further notice. I'll see you all when the battle is over."

He shut the channel off, and sighed again. Now it was just a waiting game.

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"I see light!" Shirley exclaimed excitedly, though she was careful to keep in formation- they were still in a hot zone, after all, and the enemy might still come back.

"We're getting closer to the rally point then," Gino muttered, glancing over at his sensor readouts. "But there's still no sign of the others…"

"No response over the channel. Any channel, for that matter," Kewell reported worriedly. "It's as if…"

"Your transmissions are being jammed?" the _Caliburn_ finished darkly.

"To hit us they'd have to hit themselves too," Kewell retorted, sounding skeptical. "Our frequencies aren't known to them. They'd have to blanket all frequencies at the same time to ensure we're jammed."

"But who says they wouldn't?" Shirley interrupted, causing a chill amongst the others.

"If they lost communications they wouldn't be able to direct their forces anymore. They'd have to rely on old intel and the discretion of the field commanders," Kewell pointed out, once he'd regained his composure. "It's madness to disrupt your own communications to take out your opponent's."

"Madness? This! Is! Japan! Don't forget- they'd never allow us to walk away so easily after destroying so much of their forces. It'd be an insult to their honor, a slight they would do anything to pay us back for," Gino cut in hotly, and while his outburst had tactical merit, Shirley and Kewell both paused at the way he had punctuated his first four words. The stress of the battles and the number of losses their unit had incurred was clearly getting to their commander.

"He's right," the_ Caliburn_ agreed, distracting everyone and turning their attention towards the golden Knightmare. "Honor… or at least what they call honor…" he added disgustedly, as though he'd experienced their version of honor before, "Is too important. And besides, whoever's been commanding them has been performing brilliantly- this is all part of another strategy, I'll bet."

It was a disheartening statement. No one wanted to fight an enemy who could weave plots within plots and outmaneuver you at every turn.

"So what do we do, boss?" Shirley asked, turning back towards her commander.

"Wait and see and maybe let their reinforcements catch up, or try and force our way through and end up in an ambush… either way we're risking falling into a trap…" Gino growled, and clasped his temples frustratedly with a groan. "I hate decisions like this. Goddamnit."

There was a bated silence, charged with expectation.

"Let me go on ahead and secure the area. You guys stay in line of sight range," the _Caliburn'_s pilot suggested. "Keep your wounded in the center of the formation. Be ready to pull out if this gets ugly."

"You sure?" Gino blinked at the unexpected offer. It would put him pretty much up against an unknown number of enemies- either this guy was trying to betray them or he was just so crazy that he thought he could take them all.

Either that, or this guy was some kind of would be hero.

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"I'm sure," Suzaku said quietly, and headed off without waiting for confirmation, looking as though he was simply plunging thoughtlessly into enemy territory. It wasn't that he was unaware of how dangerous his decision would be, but that he simply preferred to be the one to risk his own skin over the lives of others.

It was this particular quality of his that made him such a frustrating friend to Lelouch.

His decision, however, soon proved to be the correct one, as, just as he cleared the tunnels and came out back into the now dwindling sunlight, Suzaku became aware of a number of bloodstains spattered along the ground, followed by the wreckage of a De Dannan Knightmare.

"Get back!" he began shouting, but it was already too late.

A full complement of enemy Knightmares practically materialized on all sides surrounding the entrance to the Underground, and opened fire without mercy- if they had all headed out, the entire insurgent force would have been caught in a killing ground. As it was, the _Caliburn,_ alone, was battered back by the sheer volume of bullets that rained down upon it. Only the strangely resilient metal that made up the golden Knightmare's armor kept it from being destroyed, but it still managed to force him back inside the tunnel, allowing the enemy forces to begin advancing.

Feints within feints- the hit and run attacks were designed to buy time to set up the real trap ahead of them, not behind them as they originally guessed. The destroyed tunnels weren't to blockade them, but to funnel them into the exits where their forces were waiting to annihilate the remaining forces.

"Retreat! We need to find another way!"

"We can't!" Gino shouted back, using the external speakers on his Knightmare. "Multiple enemy contacts, coming from behind us!"

An encirclement, then. Suzaku remembered learning about such maneuvers from Toudou Kyoshiro, and how utterly devastating they could be if pulled off correctly against an enemy force. It left them with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and pressed in on all sides to ensure destruction.

They were all about to be slaughtered.

Suzaku gritted his teeth. No. Not after having fought this long- not after _Euphie _died to save him.

He was not letting any more people he decided to protect die today.

As if responding to his will (and who's to say it wasn't?), the _Caliburn_'s monitor flashed a single message.

Release Blade Limiter? Y/N?

Suzaku blinked, and opened his mouth to question just what exactly the "Blade Limiter" was, when the cockpit was jarred violently again by another renewed burst of fire from the enemy Knightmares.

"Yes!" Suzaku spat out. "Whatever it is, do it!"

Command acknowledged. Warning: Blade Limiter released. Remaining combat time available reduced by 25%. Chance of overheating Yggsdril drive increased by 37%.

Even as he began processing what he was reading, Suzaku was distracted by a sudden, brilliant azure glow, coming from the _Caliburn_'s sword. The entire length of the blade was illuminated, and, running on whatever unnatural instinct that had guided his use of the Knightmare thus far, Suzaku swung the sword out in a fierce horizontal arc towards the advancing enemy Knightmare squad.

A fierce cobalt arc erupted from the edge of the sword, burning with untamed energy, and it swept across the air until it struck the unlucky vanguard of Shinran Knightmares, who were engulfed by the attack and destroyed.

Three Knightmares, with a single slash.

Blade still glowing with that same azure energy, Suzaku swung out twice more, towards the left and right flanks, where a number of enemy Knightmares had been keeping up a steady barrage to cover the advance of their compatriots. Just as before, an arc of destructive energy tore out from the edge of the _Caliburn_'s sword, and destroyed anything it came into contact with the same terrifying ease.

_Just what the hell_ is_ this machine_, Suzaku wondered, even as he dove forward, crying out to Gino and the others, "Follow me! Push on through! I'll cut a path open!"

As if in answer, Gino and the others opened fire on the confused and demoralized Japanese Knightmares, who were stunned by the casual destruction of so many of their comrades at the hands of a single Knightmare Frame.

After another swing of his sword, enough of the enemy ambush force was destroyed that the rest were completely routed, either fleeing or destroyed, and Suzaku and the others were free and clear.

000000

"Release the jammers. It's time to find out how we did," Minami said quietly, placing his glasses back upon his face after having cleaned them on his shirt out of absent minded habit.

As the communication channels cleared up from the interference, Minami heard snatches of panicked cries for help and general confusion, and he cursed himself for ever trusting that mysterious voice.

"All units, I need a situation report now! What's happening!"

"-By the emperor what the hell was that thing-"

"-monster!"

"-that thing killed Ishiyama's squad like they were nothing!"

Minami growled, his temper, already frayed at the edges after the long day, finally reaching its breaking point.

"God damnit! Someone talk to me!"

After a few more moments of panicked shouting one voice, shaky, but coherent, came through.

"… sorry sir. This is Corporal Ishida,_ Kage_ Company, squad three."

"Corporal, what the hell happened?" Minami asked quietly, temper settling back down.

"I have no idea sir. We did as you ordered, and we wiped out the first enemy group that came out of the tunnels… but then that gold Knightmare showed up… and…" Ishida hesitated, obviously still badly disturbed by whatever happened.

"Talk to me corporal," Minami urged slowly, trying to interject a soothing tone into his voice.

It seemed to work, as he managed to calm down somewhat when he resumed speaking. "He killed four of our Knightmare squads without even trying."

Minami blinked. "Say that again, Corporal?" That couldn't have been right.

"That golden Knightmare killed four whole Knightmare squadrons, sir. I've never seen anything like it. He just… swung his sword, and next thing I know _Kage_-Two is gone. We didn't stand a chance. After he wiped out_ Kage_-One and Six, we were panicked- he got _Kage_-Five when they tried to run. The other rebel Knightmares followed his lead and broke through our defensive perimeter…"

Minami sank into his chair, face pale as he withdrew from the console.

A defeat. At the cusp of victory, they had been handed a defeat.

Damn it all. The strategy worked, obviously, but for whatever reason on the tactical level they had still been beaten.

"What the hell just happened?" he wondered quietly, before returning to the communication's console. "… All units, gather up any wounded you can, and then come home. You've done enough."

He shut down the console with a tired sigh, and tried to forget the number of men he had just lost under his command today.

000000

"I think we're safe," one of the other Knightmare operator's (Shirley, he recalled) said quietly. "There's nothing on the motion tracker. I don't think they'll be following us."

"Better keep an eye out, but I think you're right," Gino agreed cautiously. "Thanks for getting us out of that mess. There's no way we would have made it out alive if you hadn't punched a hole through their forces."

"I wasn't able to save your other friends," Suzaku replied regretfully, remembering the decimated hulks of the other Knightmares, the bloodstains on the ground.

"We're alive," Gino reminded him, though his voice was heavy and contrite. "Their deaths are my fault, not yours."

"Sorry to interrupt commander, but there's still the chance the enemy might try to pursue," came the warning voice of the remaining Knightmare pilot, whose name escaped Suzaku's memory. "We need to get back to the safe house."

"Right, right," Gino said tiredly. "You're welcome to join us, by the way. If you've got nowhere else to go."

Suzaku blinked at the offer, and shook his head, replying, "No, I should be going as well. Stay safe."

"You too," Gino said, and the sincerity in his voice gave Suzaku pause. "If you ever want to join up with us, ask for my name at a pub called Malory's."

"Malory's," Suzaku repeated quietly to himself, committing the name to memory, and then bid them farewell. And while his guilt over being unable to help Gino's other men lingered, he remembered the simple fact that he had managed to keep some of them alive.

"I did good, right Euphie? I… I helped those people," he whispered to the unmoving girl he still cradled in his lap, and smiled.

000000

It was long after the battle was finished when Lelouch Lamperouge stepped out into the sunlight, uncaring of the possibility of being found by Japanese forces at the site of a major battle. His eyes were fixated on the bloodstains on the ground, the wreckages of over a dozen Knightmares scattered about, both Brittanian and Japanese. The smell of gunsmoke and blood lingered in the air, creating a heavy atmosphere.

He walked amongst the freshly strewn corpses like a sleepwalker, eyes roving over each new atrocity and committing it to memory, where it would awaken him for many sleepless nights after.

_I helped make this possible. I ordered soldiers to shoot other men, got these people killed… my God, I helped them kill my own countrymen. _

Unbidden, hot, acidic bile rose in his throat, and Lelouch fell forward, barely managing to plant his hands and knees on the ground before he vomited quietly onto the dirt.

"War is such an ugly thing, isn't it?"

Lelouch's head jerked up from the ground, face still ashen and shaken, meeting C.C.'s unreadable expression.

"How does it feel," the witch asked softly, a cruel smile on her lips, "To have wielded real power?"

"What the hell are you talking about!" Lelouch said, a tone of hysteria in his voice at her acerbic, unbidden mockery.

"To take something away from another, regardless of their will… that is the root of power," C.C. continued, ignoring his words. "Taking life is the purest, most ancient form of power."

"I…" Lelouch glanced back down and curled his hands into fists. Without thinking, driven by angry impulse, he pounded his fists into the dirt. "I just wanted to save Suzaku."

"This is the price of power, Lelouch," C.C. murmured, her acidic tone softening, though her expression remained unreadable. "To save those you care about, you wielded power."

He remained still, knees still planted in the ground. His lips moved as though he were about to speak, but his words were strangled in his throat.

"You see now why I have denied you a Geass?"

At that, Lelouch looked up again, eyes, watery from unshed tears, growing wide as saucers, his ashen expression moving into understanding.

"You wanted the power to change things, but you never understood the cost," she whispered, eyes full of pity. "Now that you have, how does it feel?"

"… it's not worth it." His voice was a hoarse whisper, and practically inaudible to anyone besides himself.

"What was that?" C.C. asked softly.

Lelouch stood, back straight, unbroken, and looked back at her with eyes that remained soft with lost innocence and regret. "… no power is worth the cost of this many lives. If Geass will only bring death like this, then I will forge a new way to change the world- one where people won't have to die for it."

"People will always die," she said in reply, stepping closer towards him, and gently pressing her hand against the side of his face with a soft, understanding smile. "Those who oppose you, and those who align themselves with you… someone will die. There is no stopping that."

"I know that," Lelouch acknowledged, and gazed back fearlessly into C.C.'s eyes, a measure of strength returning to his own. "But even so… I will fight to make sure that doesn't happen. Even if it's futile, I will never acknowledge that unrestrained violence and killing is the only path for change. This…" he gestured to the aftermath of the battle's carnage, "And those who use their own power justify this… I will deny these things."

"Oh my… it looks like you've grown up a little, boy," C.C. said teasingly, tracing a finger against his cheek.

Lelouch scowled and slapped her hand away in annoyance. "If you've just come to mock me, then…"

He was stopped as C.C. offered him her hand, her playful expression evaporating as swiftly as it came.

"I will forge a contract with you, then, to make that determination of yours a reality," C.C. said, eyes hard with a determination all her own. "All I ask in return is that you never lose sight of what you learned here today."

Lelouch blinked, and sputtered, "But you just… I just told you that I didn't want a Geass anymore!"

"Which means you're ready to wield that kind of power," C.C. said softly, and the fact that she hadn't mocked him spoke volumes to Lelouch about how serious the situation was. "You won't wield it recklessly now that you know what kind of consequence power has on others. And in the coming days…" she thought briefly to the mysterious, unexplained presence which had drawn her here in the first place, "I would rather you have a power to defend yourself."

"There's something you're not telling me, witch," Lelouch said suspiciously.

C.C.'s lips quirked into a catty smile, which deftly hid her own unease. "Of course. I'm C.C.."

"I… you…" Lelouch sighed in frustration, and took her hand. "Very well, witch. I will accept the contract… I will use this power to oppose those who recklessly use their own personal sense of justice to permit taking life like this. I will make my determination a reality."

And with that, destiny has been decided, for both Lelouch Lamperouge and Kururugi Suzaku. Both blissfully unaware of where it would lead them, what pain it would bring them, and who they would lose on the way.

Author's Notes

Well, here we are folks, with the second chapter, the title of which is taken from Bleach, and refers to Lelouch, since this is paralleling how Suzaku's character was expounded upon in the second episode of R1.

By the way guys, _Caliburn_ is NOT. I repeat NOT. A Geass. Geass in my personal canon are abilities that manipulate the mind in some way (the ones from Nightmare of Nunnally that do things outside of that are not canonical in my book). So what the _Caliburn_ is, and what Euphemia is, are not what you think.

I realized that I should be italicizing the proper names of Knightmares, as they are basically equivalent to ship names, so I've started that this chapter with the _Caliburn_. Any other named Knightmares will get similar treatment.

I have no idea if Kewell has a title or not, but he seems to be of some nobility, and I know Gino's family is very rich and probably pretty old, so I figured I tie them together. Get some use out of minor characters. Lenard Lubie is a minor character from Suzaku of the Counterattack, so I thought I'd throw him in too, rather than making up an OC.

Considering how totally unlikely it is for Japanese armies to use Western keywords like "Alpha, Beta, Charlie", I decided instead to use simple Japanese words instead for company names and such.

I couldn't resist a Firefly or 300 reference in this chapter, so forgive me for that. Also, Onizuka Ekichi is lifted from a rather famous series. I won't say which. And there's also a vague in joke in what Gino told Suzaku at their last scene.


	3. Interlude: Weaving A Story

Interlude

Weaving A Story

Excerpt from a transcript of Reuben Ashford's seminar on Advanced Robotic Engineering at the University of Oxford, September 12, 2006

_ Since its discovery, the "Philosopher's Stone" or Sakuradite as its most commonly called, has been applied to many different uses over the years, from primitive incendiaries to fuel for illumination, but it wasn't until the development of the Yggsdril Drive in 1904 at the University of Luxembourg by Doctor Nikola Tesla, who had first conceptualized it as a way to make a fuel efficient engine using the material, taking advantage of its superconductive nature. With this, the true potential of this marvelous element was realized, increasing the already impressive value of it considerably._

_ …The first commercial Yggsdril Drive was released by Von Wolfhausen Industries, who purchased the design from Tesla, in 1908, though quickly afterward several Japanese companies such as the Ushiromiya Group and Kirihara Industries obtained the designs through various means and released their own versions. Attempts by Von Wolfhausen Industries were made to claim copyright infringement, but international laws were looser then, and Japan was in the midst of the Meiji Restoration and militarizing rapidly, with anti-Western sentiments inflamed amongst its people, prompting Germany, at the urging of the greater whole of the European Union, to quell the complaints…_

_ … The Yggsdril Drive was the first piece of technology to reveal the true potential of Sakuradite, setting it apart from other energy sources. Innovations and changes have been made to the device over the years, the most important of which was the creation of the Core Luminous module in 1987. Though more complex than previous examples of the Yggsdril Drive, it increased the output exponentially, meaning that possibilities of Sakuradite usage had grown limitless. One of those possibilities, of course, was the Knightmare Frame…_

_ … As many developers of the Knightmare Frame have found, including yours truly, Sakuradite and the Yggsdril Drive are simply irreplaceable in the design of the war machine that has changed the face of modern warfare, or indeed any machine which can benefit from the massive energy output of Sakuradite- and the ones that do not benefit are few and far between. _

_ …Cheap, efficient, and practical- the three keys to any successful piece of equipment that needs to be mass produced. Attempts at using an alternative source of fuel such as hydrogen or petroleum have been found as poor substitute, meaning that our reliance on the substance cannot be broken so long as its benefits outweigh that of the potential replacements… _

_ As a closing thought, I leave you with this one philosophical quandary that I hope you, the new generation of scientists, will take to heart. Because our dependency on Sakuradite has become both the momentum and the crutch modern civilization rests upon in order to continue to function, whoever controls the supply holds the power to dominate the entire world._

Excerpt from Cherry Blossoms and The Sword: The Rise of the Japanese Empire by G. Freeman, 2007

_ … though the West had realized the power of the material Sakuradite by the end of the Dark Ages, the Emperors of Japan had grasped the potential the resources they held centuries before. Legend has it that Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, the 12__th__ Emperor and folk hero of Japan, learned how to wield the element from his ancestral mother, Amateratsu-omikami, just before a foolish challenge against a mighty demon in which he went without the legendary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and only narrowly defeated the fiend by using a pebble of Sakuradite and his metal gauntlet to set the monster ablaze… _

_ … in the 13__th__ century, under advice from his closest advisors, Kublai Khan, the Mongol Emperor, chose to postpone his invasion of Japan to prepare his invasion fleet rather than risk the loss of so many forces… because of his foresight, the Khan's horde survived a deadly storm that would have broken a weaker fleet… in desperation, the Kamakura Shogunate ordered the first recorded full military use of Sakuradite to set the Khan's fleet ablaze using crude Sakuradite bombs, establishing Sakuradite as a recognized weapon on the field of war… further military use of Sakuradite, especially in the matter of anti-fortress weaponry, making siege warfare remarkably easier, has been recorded by famed military minds of Japan such as Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga, cementing its place in Japan's power base… _

_ … in the early 14__th__ century, Marco Polo brought word of the tremendous hoards of Sakuradite in Japan back to the West… the resulting trade expanded the power of the Japanese Empire considerably, flooding its coffers with the wealth of the European nations who greatly desired the power of what they still termed the Philosopher's Stone… _

_ … The 18__th__ century was marked as an age of exploration for the wealthy and powerful Japan, which had flourished underneath the lead of the Tokugawa Shogunate. An intrepid explorer named Ryohiko Tatsumi, hailing from Hokkaido, requested permission from the bakufu to lead an expedition east, promising a new trade route with the West that would circumvent China's monopoly on trade with the continent. Intrigued, the Tokugawa Shogunate allowed Ryohiko's request… a year and a half later Ryohiko returned with word of an entirely new continent, a new world cut off from the rest of civilization and filled with natives who still wielded bows and arrows... _

_ … in 1756 a task force led by Admiral Fukuyama Takehiro established the first Japanese base in the new world, on an island natives referred to as Hawaii… within five years of conflict, the whole of the northern continent was brought under the rule of the Chrysanthemum Throne… however the southern continent was allowed to the European nations who had colonized it, as the bakufu dared not risk open war so far from home with the West when China still loomed across the narrow sea, especially not with their new province just barely established and the aboriginal peoples still capable of mounting an uprising at a later time… in honor of the conquering of the northern continent, Fukuyama Takehiro's house was made provincial governors of the new continent, which was given the name Yamato after the old name of Japan… to the south, the name America was given to the southern continent… origins of this name, however, are disputed, given either to the Mayan language as "Land of the Wind" or to the explorer Amerigo Vespucci… _

_ … by the 19__th__ century a combination of centuries of resentment towards the bakufu, a loss in public faith in the Tokugawa Shogunate over the perceived concession of the southern continent to the West, and the rising power of the Chinese Empire, their eternal rivals in the region, created a growing movement amongst the people who longed for the end of Shogunate rule and a return to the rule of the Emperor, who had been the puppet of the Tokugawa's for so many centuries… _

_ … the final spark that resulted in what is now referred to as the Meiji Restoration was an argument between Tokugawa Iemochi and the Emperor Komei, who had argued for a lessening of trade with the West in order to increase Japan's own Sakuradite stores to help increase Japan's control over trade with the West. The Emperor had grown bold during the reign of the Shogun's predecessor, Iesada, a physically frail man whose reign was marked with a growth in Imperial power against the Shogun's, as well as a time of relative peace. Thanks to Iesada dying childless, Iemochi's claim to power was also somewhat tenuous, and opposed by factions within his own Clan, weakening the Tokugawa's further…_

_ … In defiance of the Shogunate's stance of continued trade in order to increase its own wealth, the Choshu and Satsuma clans ceased their shipments of Sakuradite in an unprecedented show of unity between two historically bitter enemies, thanks to the negotiations of Sakamoto Ryoma... under pressure from both internal and foreign powers, the bakufu sent troops to force the issue, sparking the first battle of the Meiji Revolution… _

_ … with the Emperor restored to power, the Chrysanthemum Throne, breaking with millennia of tradition, moved out of Kyoto and to Edo, renamed Tokyo, the Eastern Capitol, to avoid the threat of any remaining supporters of the Shogun… under the Emperor, Japan became more and more militaristic, and began a restriction on Sakuradite trade by enforcing an export quota on the material, thereby establishing a stranglehold on the world's most precious resource… _

_ … by the 1930s, inflation of the price of Sakuradite, worsened by a strike that erupted in the Congo that had sealed off the mining operations in the regions as workers began civil action for better rights, especially the right to unionization, reached critical levels. The Chinese Empire, whose own supplies of Sakuradite depended heavily on trade, imposed sanctions on Japan to attempt to force the price back down and demand a change in Japan's trading policies, with only limited support from what should have been their greatest allies in this endeavor, European Union, thanks to an internal conflict brought on by an ultranationalist party in Germany referred to as the National Socialists... _

_ … The conflict between the two great Eastern empires, now recorded as the Oriental War, erupted into military action in 1941 after Japan, under imperial decree, ceased Sakuradite trade with China… _

_ … in 1945, after four years of bitter war, Japan emerged victorious over their millennial rival in the region, the Chinese Empire, conquering almost all of mainland China, Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, and half of Mongolia, and taking the family of Chinese Emperor and other important ministers as hostages to ensure the complicity of the political leaders… _

_ … by the beginning of the new millennium the Japanese Empire's wealth and power had exponentially increased yet again with the rise of the Knightmare Frame weapons system, first developed in Brittania by a number of special interest groups, though the leading innovations that make the Knightmare what it is today, including the Landspinner and Factsphere technologies, were attributed to the Ashford Foundation. The Knightmare Frame could dominate the field of battle, but relied on Sakuradite to function, meaning Japan's stranglehold on the resource only tightened further as they found their own use for the technology. Under Kirihara Industries, Knightmare Frames were adopted and innovated upon in Japan, adding a terrifying new weapon to the Empire's arsenal…_

Excerpt from Age of Empires: A History of the World's Superpowers by Jonathan Stark, 2013

_ … After Japan's victory over China, Russia, which had been united under the Chinese Empire since the rule of the Khans, along with Thailand, Burma, India, and the remains of Mongolia, joined the European Union and formed the Eurasian Federation, as a check against the Japanese Empire… a conflict, however, erupted by nationalists in the various nations who had no desire to join the Federation, resulting in the Unification War…_

_ … increasing unrest in the African and American continents, along with Japan's recent victory over China, the brief civil unrest within the European Union that had only recently ended in 1944, and the pressing matter of the Unification War that was sapping the newly formed Federation's resources accelerated the growing movement to formally release hold over colonies in those areas. The Africa Act was finalized in 1951, ending centuries of rule, followed swiftly by the America Act in 1952…_

_ …The newly freed peoples, after a brief period of civil unrest, decided to unite with each other against the two superpowers of Eurasia and Japan, starting with the establishment of the South Atlantic Trade Community (SATC) in 1960 that eased trade amongst its members while blocking against foreign intrusion using high tariffs and import quotas that were mutually agreed upon by all member nations... Only five years later, they signed the final treaties and gave birth to the American-African Treaty Organization (AATO), a military treaty of mutual protection in 1965… finally, after putting an end to all resistance to the idea in the member countries, all nations in the continents agreed to unify into the South Equatorial League with the ratification of the Rio De Janeiro Treaty in 1974… though young in comparison to the other two forces, the Equatorial League was rich with natural resources, including mines of Sakuradite… while not as considerable as Japan's, it allowed them to grow rapidly from former colonies to a recognized threat by both Eurasia and Japan…_

_ …The last remaining bloc of independent countries surrounding the Mediterranean, including the Arabian Peninsula, Italy, and Greece, were thereby forced into creating the Mediterranean Pact in 1978, a loose economic, political, and militaristic alliance to protect themselves against the multinational superpowers that had carved up the world. They were not a true union, not in the sense of the Eurasian Federation or the South Equatorial League, but the power of the alliance has thus far managed to hold against the mighty powers which circle on all sides of them… A last, but significant result of this alliance was that the Brittanian Empire, which had withdrawn itself from most world affairs, remained the last truly neutral country… _

_ … Brittania had long resisted rule from the European continent, and had in fact successfully repelled any invasion of its lands from the time of Julius Caesar on. The Empire's size had ebbed and flowed over the centuries, though by the latter half of the 20__th__ century it had been reduced to only the Brittanian homeland itself, Ireland, Scotland, and Greenland, and was only stopped from degenerating further through the formidable will of the 99__th__ Emperor, Charles Di Brittania._

_ … Their Knightmare Frames proved to be effective enough on the field of warfare to hold against larger and more resource rich powers in the past, however, an invasion from Japan, launched from their base on the continent Yamato on August 10, 2010, ended the long independence of Eowyn's kingdom in a swift, bloody war… _

_ … One point of continued speculation, however, remains as to the true casus belli, given that just a year before the invasion, the Crown Prince of Japan, the young Kururugi Suzaku, was sent to Brittania as a political hostage of the Brittanian Imperial family to foster trust and strengthen relations between the two nations… though some question the logic of sending the heir presumptive to a foreign country, the lineage of the prince has been called into question in the past, due to his unknown mother, leading some to speculate that the prince was considered expendable, or at the least an acceptable loss… _

_ …While Japan's reasons for invading were numerous, from a desire to capture the Knightmare Frame technology that made Brittania powerful enough to stand on the world stage to the need for a forward base to use against the European continent proper, without the buffer of Russia or the Mediterranean Pact to interfere, their official statement, regarding "the right of conquest" of the Japanese Emperor under the guideline of "Tenchuu", or "Heavenly Justice", is the only casus belli that the Empire gave at the time… of special contention is the fact that the young prince Suzaku was recalled just two weeks before the invasion, which, along with the size, ferocity, and coordination of the Japanese forces, gives vast implications as to the degree that the invasion was premeditated… _

Excerpt from The Fall of Arthur: Collected Essays on the End of the Brittanian Empire, edited by H. Short, 2015

_ …The invasion itself, now retrospectively referred to as "The Three Month War", was a bloody affair, one of the worst in recorded history, matched by the Unification Wars that mar the history of the Eurasian Federation and Japan's invasion of the Asian mainland that resulted in the capture of most of East Asia. Though a short war by any standard, the fierce, often urban nature of the fighting led to a tremendous casualty rate on both sides, likely due to Brittania's advanced Knightmares compensating for their lack of overall numbers against the more numerous, yet technologically inferior, Japanese machines… _

_ … The shortness of the war is attributed to the sudden death of the last of the Brittanian Emperors, Charles Di Brittania in the closing weeks of the war, which is especially noted also for having kept the death toll from reaching catastrophic levels. He had been the driving force of the resistance, a towering figure in global politics- without the Emperor and without an officially recognized heir to rally behind, all will to fight in the Brittanians was extinguished in the confusion, their chain of command suddenly incapable of asserting authority, which had been centralized upon the throne for so long. Speculations regarding the causes of death range from assassination by Japanese sympathizers to his own children aiming to succeed the throne… _

_ … Within a three days of his father's death, the Prince of Wales and heir presumptive to the throne, Odysseus eu Brittania, with the consent of his royal siblings and the Imperial Council, approached the Emperor of Japan, suing for peace, which was accepted on the condition that Brittania become a province of the Japanese Empire, ceding its sovereignty, along with a number of other stringent conditions to ensure loyalty… The Crown Prince agreed, and Brittania surrendered on November 12__th__, 2010 with the ratification of the Windsor Treaty… _

…_While the Brittanian's army had likely the strength to continue fighting for several more months, it would have been a grinding campaign of attrition. As it was at the time of the official surrender, Bristol was already burned to the ground, along with much of Southern England, and its armies, for all intents and purposes, annihilated in the opening month of the invasion. Much of the northern Brittanian military was prevented from reinforcing their southern allies due to the siege at Birmingham creating a blockade that would take longer to circumvent, and the Brittanian Navy was all but in ruins after a disastrous attempt to break the blockade surrounding Brittania proper that left most of their ships in ruins, leaving the bulk of the forces outside of the Brittanian homeland unable to return and reinforce their faltering comrades. All the while the greater portion of the Japanese force were practically battering at the gates of London, with only the comparably insignificant standing army stationed at the capitol standing between them and the Emperor… _

… _Despite the crippling blow to morale and outrage felt by its people, it is the academic field's general consensus that if the war had gone on but a month longer, the already horrifying eleven percent loss of the population and nearly sixty billion pounds in economic damages would have increased to irrevocably crippling levels, leaving Brittania a ruined husk of its former self, victory or not, and easy prey for the other world powers… _

Author's Notes

Despite how much I wanted to have Chapter 3 out before the end of this year, I know I won't, considering I'll be leaving the country for a few weeks and won't be back till January. But in the spirit of Christmas, or at least the holidays, here's a special interlude chapter.

I've always loved this kind of storytelling mechanic, and considered using it in the story proper, but it just doesn't work quite as well with how I'm telling this (not every chapter needs an excerpt, plus I already use quotes). So, therefore, I decided to just dedicate a whole "mini" chapter to the backstory and timeline of this story, a la the Commissar Cain (HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!) novels, with probably additional ones in the future as they become necessary to explain certain events without breaking the normal flow of the story with lengthy exposition.

Astute readers will notice a great deal of foreshadowing in this chapter (not to mention the numerous shout outs to other works) that will give you certain clues as to what will happen in the future. Or at least help you guess.

You guys can also tell that I am absolutely enamored with the study of history. I could spend hours watching the History Channel when I'm bored. Plus, applying my university education is oddly satisfying- even my business degree is being useful in writing this, which has never happened to me before.


	4. Chapter 3: Kickstartin The Wheel of Fate

"_It's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional_

_It sure as hell ain't normal_

_But we deal we deal" _

-"Camisado", Panic At The Disco

Chapter 3

Kickstarting The Wheel of Fate

The bell at the door rang, and Jeremiah absently called out from behind the counter as he finished packing away the last of the trays, "Sorry, I've already closed down the register…"

"It's a good thing we're not buying then, hmm?" C.C. said slyly, smiling. At her side, looking pale and rather worn, was Lelouch, who offered him a wan smile of his own.

"C.C.-san! Lelouch-sama! Thank God!" Jeremiah swooped down on them like a mother hen, checking Lelouch in particular for any signs of harm. "I'd heard the reports that they'd blockaded part of the city off for a military skirmish. I've been keeping the store running as normal, but…"

"Jeremiah, we're fine," Lelouch assured him, chuckling weakly.

"Your prince here is just exhausted from commanding his first military operation," C.C. added in wryly, and Lelouch shot her a dirty look.

"Military operation?" Jeremiah balked. "You took command? Not the rebels…"

"No, I convinced the Japanese high command to give me tactical control of the operation… I didn't have a choice," Lelouch asserted quickly, feeling pressured at the shocked gaze in his knight's face. "I… I know I turned my back on my countrymen today. But I had to save Suzaku… I… I just…"

Jeremiah placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "You are my prince. My loyalty is to you. Your enemies are my enemies. That is the oath I swore when I took you from the palace all those years ago. Whatever the decision you make, it is yours to make, and mine to abide by."

"Thank you, Jeremiah," Lelouch whispered quietly, hanging his head low.

They stood there, a boy prince and his lone knight bound by the threads of loyalty in a poignant picture of chivalry and honor.

Then, Lelouch's stomach rumbled audibly.

"Erm…"

C.C. nearly fell over a table laughing.

Jeremiah smiled, releasing him.

"I'll get dinner ready."

000000

It was well into the night when Milly Ashford retired to her private rooms, situated within fair walking distance of Suzaku's own. While the master still hadn't returned, Milly was sensible enough to know that pacing around and worrying like some of the other household maids was simply a waste of time. Suzaku-sama was a big boy, and he could take care of himself (well enough to survive, anyway, though how he would live without Milly handling his laundry, cooking, and various other daily needs was a mystery).

Of course, all the common sense in the world couldn't prepare her for the sight that greeted her upon entering her room.

"Erm… help, please?" Suzaku said helplessly, sitting awkwardly on her bed, gesturing to the bloodstained girl who was currently clinging to him in a manner that Milly would have teased him for endlessly at any other time (though she did remind herself to do it later).

000000

_Earlier… _

"This should do," Suzaku said tiredly, easing on the controls of the _Caliburn_. After parting ways with Gino's resistance cell, he had come to the painful realization that he now had to hide a Knightmare Frame from prying eyes. A _golden_ Knightmare Frame, to add to that. The _Caliburn _was not exactly inconspicuous. But if he left it alone, well… that was just too dangerous.

After panicking for a few minutes, Suzaku finally settled on a temporary measure. His private mansion was situated on the grounds of what used to be a Brittanian government residence (it was damaged in the initial invasion and completely razed after Japan formally took control of the country- the Empire would never stand for its Crown Prince to live in a _gaijin_ building), and as a result there were sections of the old building remaining underground, specifically escape routes in times of emergency. Suzaku often used them to escape his duties as the Prince, and only he and Milly knew all of them.

One of these escape routes, he recalled, old and unused for what looked like decades, was wide enough to accommodate the_ Caliburn_, and Suzaku had decided to stash the Knightmare as close to the actual mansion as he could.

(The contrived convenience of having a convenient hiding place for his Knightmare directly beneath his own house did not cross his mind at the time, tired as he was)

His exhaustion was so complete, in fact, that he failed to notice the shifting of weight in his lap, not until a sweet, feminine voice asked hesitantly, "Um… excuse me… who are you?"

Suzaku's shriek of surprise startled Euphemia so badly that the girl flailed about in his lap and accidentally clipped him in the chin. The blow wasn't exactly fearsome, but being so unprepared for it, it knocked his head back into the unforgiving metal behind him.

"Oh my- I'm so sorry!"

"No, no, it's okay- wait, what the hell am I saying!" Suzaku stopped himself mid-sentence. "Euphie… you… you're alive! But you were shot! How… what…"

"Um… I don't really understand what you're saying, so can I ask… who is 'Euphie'? And um… for that matter… who are you again?" Euphemia asked with wide eyed sincerity so utterly guileless it couldn't be faked.

_Oh hell,_ Suzaku thought to himself wearily.

000000

"So you're telling me this girl- who, by the way, has on what looks like a bullet hole in a _restraining suit covered in blood_, is Euphemia Li Brittania, a Brittanian Princess who you knew as a child but who disappeared during the invasion?"

Suzaku winced. "Yes."

"And that she has amnesia?" Milly said slowly, expression totally blank.

"Yes," Suzaku repeated uneasily, unsure of his maid's tone. His anxiety was only heightened by the fact that an uncertain Euphemia remained clinging to his side, hiding almost childishly behind his shoulder.

"Suzaku-sama… you do know that real retrograde amnesia is incredibly, incredibly rare. And the possibility of that million to one chance of the retrograde amnesia causing a person to completely lose all memory of themselves is… well…" Milly paused. "And that's not even taking into account the fact that you _still _haven't told me how you found her!"

Suzaku opened his mouth once, twice, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for finding a lost, amnesiac princess covered in blood, and how to get around the giant golden Knightmare sitting not more than a hundred feet underground from them.

… Some days Suzaku really envied Lelouch and his brilliant mind.

"Ah… oh well. You're too terrible a liar to be making this up, so I guess it must be true," Milly said in a long-suffering tone, shrugging helplessly, hand on her forehead in the classic 'What can you do?' pose.

Suzaku blinked.

"Well, first and foremost… Euphemia, was it?" The girl in question peeked hesitantly from behind Suzaku's shoulder, and Milly smiled brightly, trying to coax her out. "I'm Milly Ashford. Nice to meet you."

"N-nice to meet you," Euphemia said nervously, straightening just a little to meet Milly's friendly gaze.

"Let's get you cleaned up, shall we? Those clothes just don't suit a pretty girl like you!" And without waiting for a reply, Milly picked up Euphemia by the arm and began marching her towards the door. Before she disappeared, however, Milly popped her head back in. "Anything else you need me to take care of, Suzaku-sama?"

The question was so servile and unexpected that it took Suzaku a moment to process, and then finally he smiled in gratitude. There's a… something I left in one of the escape tunnels. If you could help me get it hidden, keep anyone away from those secret passages…"

"Consider it done," Milly said, smiling back with a wink.

"You're the best," Suzaku said tiredly, the exhaustion finally fully setting in.

"I know, I know," she said dismissively, waving her hand away. "Now come on then, Euphie-chan! Let's go deepen our friendship with skinship! To the baths!"

"E-Eh? B-but…"

Suzaku just barely managed to cover his nose in time to catch the bit of blood that leaked out, his gratitude towards Milly dissolving in the face of irritation.

_Not fair,_ he thought, annoyed, as he slowly made his way out of Milly's room, one hand still over his nose as he made his way towards his own room nearby, which made sense given that Milly was his personal attendant and head of the household staff.

It was with no small measure of relief that, without even bothering to turn on the lights of his room or to shuck the dirtied, slightly bloodied clothes that clung to his weary body like a second skin, Suzaku collapsed into the welcoming arms of his bed.

He would have easily fallen asleep immediately, however, just before he could, a harsh vibrating rang out through his room, startling Suzaku into sitting upright. After a moment of blindly groping in the dark, he found the source of the noise- his cell phone.

"Hello?" he said wearily.

"Suzaku!" Lelouch's voice broke out into audible relief. "Thank God- this was the fourth time I've tried calling you, idiot. Where have you been?"

Suzaku straightened, suddenly ashamed for having forgotten he had left Lelouch behind just a few hours before (God, only a few hours?). "I… I'm back home now. I'm fine. How about you? You didn't follow me into the Underground, did you?"

If he had… well, obvious he was safe, but Suzaku still cringed at the idea of putting his best friend in harm's way.

There was a moment's pause, and finally, Lelouch scoffed. "What do you take me for? An idiot? How about you? Did you actually manage to find out what was happening?"

Suzaku froze. Should he tell him? Lelouch was reliable, and his best friend. And his advice and ability to plan would be so helpful- Suzaku was no strategist, and logistics tended to make his head hurt. Lelouch could easily have devised ways for him to hide the _Caliburn_ and Euphemia… and letting Lelouch know of Euphie's survival was also something to consider.

But Lelouch was also a Brittanian prince in hiding… bringing any trouble on his doorstep could make things extremely dangerous, and that was exactly what both _Caliburn _and Euphie were, no matter how he tried to look at it. If there was even a chance Lelouch could be implicated in Kusakabe's death, the Empire would jump on the chance for such a scapegoat. The Brittanian royals were a dangerous factor in the Empire's control of the country- while some, like Schneizel, were collaborating in one form or another, or others like Lelouch were in hiding, some had stepped beyond merely going underground and were seen as rallying points for rebels.

"Suzaku? Did you hear me?"

Suzaku shook his head. "Uh… yeah. Sorry. Just tired. I wasn't able to find anything. I just got lost in the Underground… managed to find my way out though."

"Oh. Good." The note of relief in Lelouch's voice sounded strange, but Suzaku dismissed it in his own relief that Lelouch had seemingly bought his alibi. "Well, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to go to bed. Good night."

For a moment, Suzaku regretted the lie. He wanted to take it back, wanted to confess everything to his best friend, wanted Lelouch's guidance on how best to proceed from here.

"Good night Lelouch."

He wondered if he was a coward or a hero for lying. The disturbing notion, combined with a mounting feeling of regret, kept Suzaku's tired mind from fully succumbing to sleep, meaning he snapped back to consciousness at the sound of a light knock on the door.

"Sorry to bother you," Milly said, sounding sincerely apologetic this time. Blessedly, she was perceptive enough not to turn on the light. "I just got Euphemia into the baths."

"I'm surprised you're not sexually harassing her," Suzaku said, smiling.

"I did a little. She seems a little too shy though. Maybe when we get to know each other better."

Suzaku shook his head, trying his best not to think about the implications of Milly's statement. His maid obviously knew what he was thinking, as she smiled cattily and winked at him. It faded, however, and her face became solemn.

"So what happened, really?"

Something a lot of people outside his household failed to see was that beneath the bubbly, cheerfully eccentric exterior of a beautiful young woman was a keen, perceptive mind.

Absently, Suzaku reminded himself again to keep Milly away from Kaguya. That meeting still had yet to happen, and if the gods were merciful, it never would.

Finally, he looked down, avoiding her gaze, staring down at his hands that only hours before had held the reigns of what might be the most powerful Knightmare in existence.

"I… I'm not sure myself. But I think… I think I have the power to change things now Milly." Suzaku glanced back up at her, face uncertain. "I have the power to make a difference. I just don't know what to do with it yet."

"I let you out of my sight for a few hours and you come back with a messiah complex and a pretty girl," Milly muttered despairingly, shaking her head. "What a troublesome master."

"With a troublesome maid," Suzaku quipped lightly, smiling.

"Like calls to like, I suppose," she said cheekily, before she abruptly added, "That's all I needed to know."

She turned aside as Suzaku blinked, uncertain of what had just happened.

"When you've got it all figured out… let me know, hmm?" Milly gave him a coy glance over her shoulder. "I've got to look after you, after all, or who knows what kind of trouble you'll get yourself into."

"You'll be the first to know," Suzaku promised, shaking his head.

000000

The next morning was not a pleasant one for Lelouch. For one thing, he woke up later than usual, no doubt from the lingering exhaustion of yesterday's efforts. And even after ingesting his habitual cup of coffee and a hot shower, he still felt more like the walking dead than anything else.

C.C., on the other hand, seemed to grow more and more cheerful the more tired he became.

"I think the Germans call it schadenfreude," C.C. said off-handedly, arms behind her head in a casual manner, clutching her school bag in one hand as they walked over to the school. The long sleeves of her blouse and the red ribbon fixed at the center of it fluttered in an errant breeze, and she absently smoothed her skirt down.

"Maybe that's the secret to your immortality. You feed on the suffering of others like a succubus," Lelouch muttered, hand over his face as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"How harsh. I'm a witch, not a demon."

"I'm pretty sure witches were once considered to be demon-possessed," Lelouch pointed out, absently straightening the red tie of his school uniform, which, like the sports jacket, slacks, and white collared shirt, was recently washed after yesterday's events and thus still faintly smelled of fabric softener (Jeremiah asserted that the clothes of a royal had to be as comfortable as possible).

"Is that right? Well, I'm a pretty demon, at least," C.C. shrugged. Without changing her tone, she abruptly asked, "So what was with lying to Suzaku about yesterday? I thought you two were bosom buddies or something?"

Lelouch barely even paused at the sudden change in topic, having lived with C.C. long enough to be used to (most) of her mannerisms.

"He'd… he'd only worry," he managed lamely. "It's my problem to deal with, not his."

"And here I thought you'd grown up a little," C.C. said with a sigh.

Before Lelouch could respond, they had reached the gates of their school. Absently, Lelouch read the plaque fixated on the outer wall, to the right of the main gate.

_Sumeragi Academy. _

For a moment, his lips quirked. It was no accident he chose this school.

Unlike many other schools in London, or indeed the whole of Brittania, Sumeragi Academy not only welcomed both Brittanian and Japanese students alike, but in fact encouraged Brittanians to enroll, offering scholarships and financial aid thanks to the generosity of the school's founder and student body president, in an effort to promote unity between the two peoples who were still starkly divided seven years after the war- an idea that Lelouch himself found appealing. It was innovative, bold, and not a little idealistic, perfectly reflecting the nature of the person who first decided to create it.

"The president is overseas again, hmm?" C.C. asked, noticing his fixated gaze on the school plaque.

"She won't be back for at least another week," Lelouch said absently. "Which means I've got a week of relative peace before the insanity starts again."

"I like the president," C.C. hummed, smiling.

"You would." Lelouch scowled. "You and she agree far too much on matters that involve my suffering. I wish she hadn't let you on the council… or would at least let me leave."

"But you make such a fine vice president," C.C. said, with enough false flattery that it was almost visible.

"And you make a terrible secretary," Lelouch shot back. "We still need more members, since Miyazaki-senpai and Kurosaki-senpai's parents were both transferred overseas. The workload is getting ridiculous."

"The president will probably appoint someone when she gets back," C.C. shrugged, looking bored. "Besides, it's not my problem."

"No, it's mine," Lelouch grumbled. "Come on, we're gonna be late for first period."

They made their way inside the high school building, passing the milling crowd of junior high and high school students who were also hurrying towards their own classes. Things began getting a little too hectic, however, and while sidestepping one burly high school student who looked more like a gorilla wearing clothes than anything else, Lelouch accidentally rammed into another person, knocking them over.

"Oh! Sorry," Lelouch said hurriedly, extending his hand out before he recognized who he had run into. "Oh, Earlstreim-san. How are you this morning?"

The person he had knocked over in question, Anya Earlstreim, wearing the longer skirt and more modest, old-fashioned type of sailor _fuku _that signified her to be in the junior high section_,_ seemed as impassive as ever, even after being knocked down. She avoided meeting his gaze as always, even as she took his hand to get up, and tonelessly replied, "Fine. You?"

"I'm well enough, thank you," Lelouch said, smiling slightly. "Again, I'm sorry about that."

"Its fine," Anya replied, still not meeting his eyes, dusting her skirt off absently. "I'm going now."

Without waiting for a reply, she glided off.

Lelouch shook his head. "She's as odd as ever."

Behind him, C.C. had a strange look on her face, as she always did when he ran into that girl. He had tried asking her about it, but always got the same reply.

_"It's not my business. If she wants to tell you, she will." _

But it never seemed like Earlstreim did have anything to say to him. In fact, she preferred to keep their conversations as short as possible, and avoided him more often than not. At first, Lelouch wondered if she was being rude or didn't like him, but after seeing her around campus, he concluded that she was just that kind of person.

"Well, I guess we should get going." Lelouch started on towards the high school building again, and just as he reached for the door handle, another hand clasped it at the same time. Blinking in surprise, he looked up, and met the green eyes of a redheaded girl he was unfamiliar with, wearing the same girl's uniform as C.C.

Though he didn't recognize her, the redhead's eyes widened at the sight of him and she backed away as though burned.

"My apologies, miss," Lelouch said politely, and pulled open the door for her, meeting her eyes uncertainly. _Do I know her? _"Please. Ladies first."

The redhead continued to stare at him blankly. Finally, after a few more moments of awkward silence, a voice from behind the redheaded girl came up.

"Oi! Shirley! We're gonna be late!" a blue-haired boy popped up behind her shoulder.

"Oh… right. Thanks Rivalz." Deftly avoiding Lelouch's gaze, the redhead ducked inside the building, followed by her friend.

"Well, that was strange," Lelouch muttered. "I just don't get women."

Embarrassing as it was to admit, he was never much good with girls, not like Suzaku, anyway. Suzaku could talk to any girl fairly easily- easier than he could, in any case. Hopefully, he was having better luck with his morning.

000000

_Oh God oh God oh God I can't believe I just ran into that guy _again_!_

Shirley paused around the corner of the hallway, hand over her chest, still feeling badly shaken after her run in with the boy from the Underground. She had already realized from his uniform that he went to Sumeragi Academy, but she'd forgotten all about him in the ensuing chaos of the battle.

_"I know what we've lost. And I know that killing is never going to bring the dead back."_

Her fists clenched. What did he know about what they- about what _she_- had lost? Maybe killing wouldn't bring anyone back, but the dead deserved justice.

"Shirley? You okay?" Rivalz peered out at her, and then his concerned face broke out into an irreverent, teasing smile. "You like that guy or something?"

"Shut up Rivalz," Shirley muttered, rolling her eyes.

As the only other person in their resistance cell at her school, Rivalz was her de facto best friend. Not to mention the fact that she was hardly at school anyways to make any other friends- her skill with a Knightmare Frame made her too valuable not to take on most missions, no matter how reluctant Gino was to take her along. The fact that he was barely older than her was generally ignored- he had been enrolled in the military academy with high honors at the time of the invasion, meaning he already had some general training, however young. Shirley, however, was simply a civilian with a knack and above average skill for piloting.

"I saw that guy yesterday. At… you know," Shirley said vaguely, waving with her hands to try and sign her implied statement to him.

Rivalz paused, and his eyes widened slowly as he understood what she was saying.

"Weird," he muttered. "Hey, I wonder if he was the pilot of that golden Knightmare you and the boss were talking about. I don't remember the voice of the guy who captured me before Kusakabe, but it might have been him."

Now it was Shirley's turn to widen her eyes into saucers. Could that be true? She didn't know the timeline of when Gino had first run into that Knightmare and she had run into that boy… but on the other hand, what was he doing there in the first place?

Shirley frowned and crossed her arms, a contemplating look on her face. As she stood there, another female student in her class passed by, and offhandedly smiled and said, "Oooh! I'm so jealous, Shirley-san! You touched hands with Lelouch-sama!"

"Lelouch?" Shirley leaned forward, and caught the girl's arm with her own. "Wait. Do you know him?"

The girl gave Shirley a blank look for a moment, then finally blinked. "Oh right, I forget you have anemia and can't make it to school a lot of the time. Lelouch-sama is the idol of the school, along with his girlfriend, C.C.-san!"

"C.C.? That's a weird name," Rivalz cut in skeptically.

"She's so mature! And mysterious! Kuudere's are so cool! I heard from a friend who heard from an upperclassman that C.C. is from a foreign country in the Eurasian Federation or something, whose customs are all backwards or something, and like they dye everyone's hair green in that country, and only give people initials for names," the girl chirped with a bubbly voice.

"That... what?" Shirley blinked, fairly certain she hadn't understood the whole of the girl's sentence. After a few more moments of attempting to process the inane babble she'd heard, Shirley finally just shook her head, mumbled thanks to the girl, and walked off, feeling even more confused than earlier.

"Come on, we're going to be late," Rivalz reminded her, tugging on her sleeve, but she pulled away.

"You go on ahead. I need to talk to the boss about this." The look in her eyes and the set of her shoulders would brook no argument.

"… oh, alright. First period isn't for another five minutes anyway. See you in class!" and with that, Rivalz wandered off jauntily, whistling to himself.

Shirley barely heard him, fixated on punching in the number Gino had given her this week of his current cell phone- he made a point of changing the phone and number every couple of weeks to avoid detection.

It only rang twice before he picked up.

"Yes?" Gino's voice was subdued, even through the voice filter he was using to disguise himself.

Shirley briefly paused, trying to remember the code word they'd established for this month, in order to ensure the identity of both people on the line. "Oly oly oxen free."

"We're all free," came the response, the standard code word response to let the other person know the line was clear.

"God, do we have to use those for each new code word? Haven't we run out of childish rhymes yet?" Shirley muttered despairingly.

"Not by a long shot, girlie," Gino said lightly, chuckling. "So what is it?"

"I think I've got a lead on who the pilot of that golden Knightmare was," Shirley said quietly, and quickly outlined her encounter with the boy, Lelouch, both yesterday and today, complete with her suspicions that he was the pilot.

"What do you think?" she asked, once she'd finished.

Gino was quiet for a few moments. "Watch him. Don't let him know you're onto him- if he is, you don't want to scare him off. If he isn't, you'll just blow your cover. Try to feel him out."

"Understood," Shirley said quietly, already glancing towards where Lelouch had just been, a determined look on her face. "I'll find out what he knows."

And if he was a threat- she'd do whatever it took to make sure her comrades stayed safe.

000000

At the government building, Suzaku was having about the same feelings as Lelouch in regards to the morning, with a mounting headache as he sat in the council room, which was nearly the same as yesterday- with only one small, but powerful, difference.

The loss of Kusakabe had more repercussions than Suzaku had considered at the time. After all, now he was without a commander for the substantial military forces based in the country, and without a buffer for the onerous duties that Kusakabe had kept him out of. The Colonel had, whatever his questionable activities, been the Empire's true representative in the country, and the one who handled a lot of the day to day activities- Suzaku was intentionally kept out of much of the policy making and other activities done in his name.

And now the homeland was getting involved.

"I told you before," Suzaku said slowly, an undercurrent of fury building in his voice, "That report holds the extent of my knowledge about Kusakabe's doings. If you're insinuating something, sir, then say it openly."

"My prince, no one blames you for the loss of the Colonel. We merely need to follow the proper procedures for such an emergency, especially in the face of such a crisis. As the heir to the empire, you of all people should understand."

The wrinkled, bald face on the viewscreen held only a placid smile and spoke with an even, almost fatherly tone, but Suzaku didn't believe it for a second.

"Kirihara-san, I understand your good intentions, but I must remind you that the Colonel went behind my back, and more importantly, the back of the Empire, and was killed as a result of his own hubris," Suzaku said politely, though tersely. "If he hadn't have been killed by whomever he was dealing with, I would have put him under military tribunal myself. Is it really necessary to go through this investigation?"

Kirihara Taizou was the Chief Minister of the Imperial Council, a group of the most powerful men in the Empire who advised the Emperor and were entrusted with much of the day to day running of the government. Kirihara was the top dog amongst all of them as the Chief Minister, the head of the Council, and his vast political power was enforced by the fact that he was the richest man in the Empire, thanks to his other position, as Chief Executive Officer of Kirihara Industries, the world's leading supplier of Sakuradite.

Under Taizou's leadership, the company built by his family flourished, dealing in everything from manufacturing equipment to medical supplies, and of course, military technology. All Japanese Knightmare Frames in usage were built by Kirihara Industries, making the company the backbone of the Empire's formidable military might. And Taizou himself was the Emperor's closest advisor and friend, someone Suzaku could never trust.

"True, the Colonel's actions are suspect," Kirihara agreed generously. "And we will of course be making inquiries into the budget allotted to your colonial government in Brittania, to ensure that Kusakabe was not diverting government funds into his own private projects. That being said, we must ensure all the facts are verified first. The reports about the battle are still… incomplete, I should say, and need to be looked into."

"I can handle that investigation," Suzaku began slowly, but Kirihara interrupted him.

"No, please, my prince, such tasks are better left to men of common blood, not those born of Amateratsu's lineage," the Minister assured him with a toothy, knowing smile. "We also need to discuss the matter of a replacement for your Chief of Staff. The Council has already elected a candidate to replace the Colonel, and who will handle the investigation personally. He will be dispatched to Brittania shortly, along with a new complement of troops to replace what we have lost and to ensure the Emperor's Peace."

"I see," Suzaku bit out, irritated at how easily his authority was subverted. "May I ask the replacement's name?"

"We will inform you of the candidate's name once the offer has been accepted, my prince," Kirihara said smoothly, once again overriding Suzaku's supposed authority without ever breaching protocol. He smiled, and added, "No need to tell you before we are sure."

_In other words, you won't give me time to prepare,_ Suzaku thought darkly. This stank of the Emperor's touch- the casual, backhanded insults were his father's way of saying hello.

"If there is nothing more to discuss, then we will contact you again, my prince, when the decision has been made." Kirihara bowed generously, as befitting Suzaku's station. A mere governor would never have the right to dismiss the Chief Minister in conversation, but Suzaku was, at least in name, more powerful than a provincial governor.

"Very well," he muttered, dismissing the Minister. Without a word to anyone else in the room, he stood, and stormed out of the room, nearly colliding headlong with someone outside.

"I'm so sorry!" came the squeaked out apology, which Suzaku found odd, considering he was the one who all but trampled down the other person.

It took a moment for recognition to set in, due to the change of clothes. After all, a demure, old fashioned maid's outfit was a radical change from the confines of a restraining suit.

"Euphie! What're you doing?" Suzaku whispered hurriedly, pulling her off to the side, warily glancing around.

"Oh, it's you… um," she hesitated.

"Suzaku," he said patiently.

"Right… Suzaku… erm… I mean… Suzaku-sama." Euphemia's voice halted and tripped over his name and the honorific, the words foreign on her tongue.

"I take it you still can't remember me. Or anything else then," Suzaku said lightly, vaguely amused at her embarrassment.

"Y-yes," Euphemia said quietly, casting her gaze down, pale hands wringing the length of her skirt idly.

Suzaku cursed himself for making light of her predicament. How frightening it had to be for a young woman, to find nothing familiar and be forced to trust someone who might only be claiming to be a friend.

He was terrible with girls. God, how he wished he could talk to Lelouch. Lelouch would know what to do- girls always flocked to him, and Lelouch seemed to handle himself well around them.

He, on the other hand, usually just fumbled around for the right words to say.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "But really, you shouldn't be walking around like this. What if someone sees you?"

"I admit, seeing the young master doing naughty things with a maid _would_ be a fairly scandalous sight."

Suzaku yelped, and practically leapt out of his skin as he whirled around to see Milly's amused face break out into a fit of giggles.

"You're too easy," Milly muttered, sounding in despair as she waved Euphemia over to her. "And you're getting in the way of her duties. Go along now, Euphie-chan. There'll be time to chat once you tell the driver that Suzaku-sama's meeting is finished."

"Right away, Milly-san," Euphemia said, straightening. She gave a polite bow to Suzaku, and then went on her way, looking relieved.

"Wh-you did this?" Suzaku said slowly, blinking in comprehension as he turned towards Milly.

"I hired her on. Who's going to question one of the maids, other than to tell them where to put the laundry? Servants can move around freely where someone else would get questioned." Milly shrugged, smiling blandly. "I figure you'd want to keep her close, so I thought of a way to make sure she's around you."

"That's… really smart," Suzaku admitted quietly. "Thanks."

"Well, since you're so grateful, I suppose I'll let you in on a secret," Milly said secretively, smiling wider as she leaned in close. "Sorry, Suzaku-sama, but I looked inside the escape tunnel."

It took only a second to process what she'd just said, and Suzaku felt an arctic chill run down his spine.

"You might want to find a way to hide that garish thing," Milly muttered, shaking her head. "Seriously, pure gold? Could it be any more conspicuous?"

Suzaku eyed her warily, suddenly reevaluating everything he knew about her. He trusted Milly a lot, but for her to suddenly breach his secrets like this was something he'd never expected.

"Oh, don't worry," Milly said brightly, smiling. "I closed up the tunnel and found a tarp big enough to conceal it for now. But we're going to have to find a better place to hide that thing. I know someone who might be able to help."

"Y-you're not going to ask about it? Or tell anyone?" Suzaku could have been knocked over by a leaf in his confusion.

"Of course not," she scoffed. "I'm your maid, you idiot, not the police."

"Oh… I… well… sorry about that," Suzaku said, embarrassedly scratching the back of his head and looking down like a contrite child.

"Think nothing of it. I'm the brains of this outfit. Thinking's never been your strong suit, after all, Suzaku-sama."

He bristled, but good naturedly rolled his eyes and muttered in annoyance, "Clearly. Why else would I have taken you on as a maid?"

Milly gave him a catty smile in return.

"Alright, so who's this person you said you could help? Are you sure we can trust them?"

"I'm sure," Milly said confidently, then she paused, and tilted her head to the side and pressed a finger to her cheek, as if reconsidering. "He's the best at what he does. Unfortunately, he's also… well, _weird_."

"Weird?" Suzaku blinked. That wasn't really an adjective Milly used.

"I'll tell you more later. For now we shouldn't keep the driver waiting. I know you still need to visit her later." Milly's voice took on a more solemn tone as she finished, as it always did when it came to that particular topic.

"Alright," Suzaku agreed, his face falling too at the mention of her. "Let's go then."

000000

"Sweet lemonade mmm sweet lemonade, sweet lemonade yeah sweet lemonade," Rivalz hummed under his breath, as he took a long gulp of said drink from a vending machine can.

"Could you _not_ sing that?" Shirley muttered irritably, standing off to the side waiting for him to finish, keeping her eyes open for that boy they ran into this morning.

"Sorry, it's been stuck in my head all day," he said apologetically. "Why are we stalking this guy again?"

"We're not _stalking_ him!" Shirley said heatedly, whirling on him as she lowered her voice so that only he could hear her. "He was there, that day! Which means he might know something about what happened to the cargo that went missing, and who was piloting that Knightmare."

"Alright, alright," Rivalz muttered, backing off. "No need to bite my head off."

"Just… keep quiet, okay? I need to make sure we don't miss him- oh shoot, I think that's him!"

"Over there?" Rivalz followed her gaze to where Lelouch had just turned the corner, idly fiddling with his cell phone.

"Stay here and watch my back, would you?" Shirley asked, and sped off without waiting for a response.

"A girl in love is a scary creature," Rivalz sighed, and started humming that Ear Worm of a song again under his breath. "Look at my horse, my horse is amazing…"

000000

Shirley was already out of earshot by the time Rivalz made his comment, thankfully for him and his good health, following Lelouch with the practiced ease she had gained from a few reconnaissance missions she'd undertaken for Gino's squad.

A pretty girl who claims she got lost, he insisted, to her chagrin, was far less suspicious than a man skulking in the shadows.

After tailing him for a while as he walked through the school, stopping by the teacher's lounge and a few other classrooms on the way, Shirley managed to gather some things about him.

Firstly, he was apparently very well known around campus, and well liked at that. Teachers often came by to sing their praises about his performance on tests, and most students who passed him at least waved, and in return Lelouch smiled back easily and always had a moment to greet anyone who spoke with him.

Secondly, and seemingly in contrary to her first observation, was that despite any number of people, both teachers and students, who waved and stopped to chat with him amiably, Shirley got the distinct impression that none of these people were truly _close_ to him- there was just this subtle distance in his posture, and a lack of true warmth in his eyes that indicated he was simply not being completely honest. But it was just a feeling, and she tried to dismiss it.

Thirdly, and this was especially notable or her, was something mentioned in passing as Lelouch went by the teacher's lounge.

"Hey, Lelouch-kun," came the hesitant, though stern tones of the history professor, a balding, slightly overweight erudite. "Not that your grades have been suffering for it, but you might want to come to class more often. Yesterday's class wasn't quite as important, but you do remember attendance is part of your grade, correct?"

"Sorry professor," Lelouch said apologetically, bowing his head. "Something came up yesterday…"

The rest of it trailed off as a passing pair of students drowned out the conversation with chatter, but she managed to confirm that he hadn't been at school yesterday.

So far however, all she had was circumstantial evidence that he was really the boy she met, as well as a vague outline of his personality, which she contrasted with her first encounter with him, in the Underground.

There, he had been… fierce. Unbending in his convictions. Admirable, in a way, she had to admit- most people would never have preferred being killed to being indirectly involved in murder.

So who was the real Lelouch Lamperouge, if indeed that was him? The fierce idealist or the laid back student?

Her thoughts were interrupted as a green haired girl, the same one she'd seen with him that morning, walked up to him casually. She said something quietly, too quiet to overhear, and Lelouch's genial expression changed into annoyance- what Shirley guessed might be the first real emotion she'd seen from him so far.

"It's none of your business," he said curtly, just barely loud enough to be overheard.

The girl- C.C., Shirley guessed- smiled cattily and said something inaudible in response. Then, to her shock and absolute terror, C.C. glanced towards her, met her eyes, and said loudly, "I'll let you off for now. Looks like someone else has been waiting to talk to you for a while, from the way she's been following you around campus."

Without waiting for a reply, the green haired girl sauntered off.

_Oh that bitch! _Shirley's eyes widened as she felt frozen in the headlights, unsure whether to bolt or stand her ground and make up an excuse.

After a few moments of indecision, her choice was made for her when Lelouch turned around and spotted her, recognizing her after a moment.

"Ah… is there something you need, miss?" he asked politely.

"I… um… that is to say… you…" Shirley stammered, color flooding her cheeks in mortification. Her stalking- erm, that is to say _espionage_- skills were suddenly deserting her faster than rats leaving a sinking ship.

Lelouch seemed to take her hesitation without suspicion, and in fact an understanding look came to light in his eyes.

"Ah," he said slowly, and smiled gently.

Shirley blinked.

"I'm sorry miss, but I'll have to refuse your feelings," Lelouch said quietly, the words coming out with practiced ease, sounding for all the world like he had repeated this same phrase over and over to other girls before, "I'm afraid I just have no place in my life for romance right now."

_WHAT? _

Shirley's face, which had previously been flushed from embarrassment, changed abruptly into a stormy look of fury.

Lelouch blathered on, ignorant of the thunderheads that were gathering on the girl's face. "Please, don't take this the wrong way. I just… I don't even know you, and I'm afraid that-"

He was abruptly cut off, courtesy of a rather ferocious slap.

"How dare you!" Shirley hissed, "Of all the arrogant- self-possessed- you thought I was _confessing _my love for you!"

"I just… I… you… were acting…" Lelouch trailed off as the deadliness of her glare increased- if Shirley could have, she would have willed him to spontaneously combust on command right then and there, and damn whatever information she would miss.

"When girls usually talk that… it's happened to me before," he finished petulantly, as though his excuse would make a difference. Finally, gathering his wits about him again, Lelouch irritably rubbed his cheek and continued, "Well, in any case, there's no need to be so rude. It was an honest misunderstanding."

"You're lucky that's all I did," Shirley snapped back, crossing her arms. "Assuming things like that. Men!"

Lelouch continued rubbing his cheek for a few more moments, giving her a glare, before he finally sighed. "Anyways. What did you want from me?"

Shirley, for all her anger, froze again. She_ still_ didn't have an excuse.

"Ah, Shirley-kun, and Lelouch-kun! Excellent, you're both here." Her homeroom professor, an eternally stubble-chinned, glasses wearing man, walked in at that moment, smiling widely at them both. "Good, saves me the trouble of having this conversation twice."

"Ah, Takahata-sensei… what is it?" Shirley asked politely, bowing her head to hide the flush of relief that came from his presence.

"Well, I know with your weak constitution you've missed a number of classes, and it's beginning to show on your grades. So I talked it over with Headmaster Ougi, and he suggested that we ask Lelouch-kun here, being our star student, to tutor you," Takahata said casually, rubbing the back of his head with a chuckle. "But I see you've already taken the initiative to ask for a tutor yourself?"

"Ah… right!" Shirley said quickly, nodding her head, thanking providence for the sudden window of escape. "I heard Lelouch-san scored highest on the exams, so I wanted to ask if he could help me…"

Lelouch cast her a suspicious look at her sudden change in attitude, which Shirley met with a winning smile. "Please, Lelouch-san?"

"How about it, Lelouch-kun?" Takahata asked, peering over at him with a boyish smile. "I know it's a lot to ask, considering your duties as Student Council Vice-president, but a little of your time might really help Shirley-kun."

"Of course I will, sensei," Lelouch replied, inclining his head slightly in acquiescence. " We can even have our first meeting after school today, in the Student Council room. If that's okay with Shirley-san."

Now it was Shirley's turn to be suspicious. Why was he agreeing so easily?

"Great! Everything's settled then. Now, I think the lunch period is just about over, so Shirley-kun and I should be going. Don't be late to class, Lelouch-kun!" Her teacher patted her on the shoulder genially, waving to Lelouch.

As Shirley walked back to her classroom, she chanced a glance behind her- to her embarrassment, Lelouch had been staring at her, and caught her look. Their eyes met, and Shirley felt a strange fluttering in her stomach as she looked away.

000000

"Tell the driver we'll be leaving as soon as I get out of this," Suzaku muttered, absently shrugging his shoulders. The ceremonial kimono he wore as part of his duties as a Prince wasn't exactly uncomfortable in a physical sense, but he always felt as though he was trying to play at someone he wasn't whenever he was in it.

"Gotcha," Milly acknowledged. "I'll stay here then. Euphie-chan, go and help him change. He always wrinkles that kimono if he takes it off by himself."

"W-what?" Euphemia's face flushed.

"I can change on my own," Suzaku protested. Milly always made him seem more helpless than he actually was.

"Please, you probably don't even remember which drawer your clean underwear is. Besides, it gives Euphie here a chance to learn how to do her job. And make mine easier." Milly grinned.

"Sometimes, I swear you're the master here," Suzaku muttered, heading off towards his room, with a still flushed and meek looking Euphemia trailing distantly behind him.

"Sorry about all that," Suzaku apologized, after they'd entered his room. He stepped towards his closet, absently picking a dark, collared button down shirt and comfortable slacks out of it. "I know Milly can be… trying. You don't really need to help me."

"No, it's fine," Euphemia said quietly, stepping forward to take his clothes from him. "I… I am a maid now. I need to do my job."

Suzaku shook his head, smiling generously. "No, it's okay."

"It's my job," Euphemia insisted, tugging lightly on the shirt.

"Really, it's-" Suzaku began, pulling away from her with a reassuring smile.

"I said, it's _my_ job!"

Suzaku blinked.

Euphemia's face had been set with a determined look, her chin jutting out and her eyes bright and fierce, but immediately afterward turned bright red and she ducked her head down again. "I-I'm sorry about that…"

"No, it's okay," Suzaku said, chuckling. "That's more like how you were… back then."

"Back… then?" Euphemia blinked, and her embarrassment shifted into melancholy.

_Oh shoot_, Suzaku thought inwardly. _Right, way to remind the girl about her total amnesia, Suzaku. Brilliant work. _

Sometimes, Suzaku wondered why the scolding voice in his head often sounded like Lelouch. Trying his best to make the awkward situation smoother, Suzaku said nothing, and changed out of his kimono and into the shirt and slacks in the bathroom. It was only as he was buttoning his shirt that the silence was broken.

"What… what was I like, back then?" Euphemia asked quietly, voice barely audible through the door.

Suzaku pushed open the door slightly and looked at her, uncertain. "You were… brighter. Happier. You loved picking flowers and weaving them into chains and then crowning me with them. But you could be really stubborn too. Just like now."

"Stubborn?" Euphemia raised her eyebrow, her cheeks puffing out indignantly as she planted her fists on her hips- it was a look she'd given him countless times before, usually right after he and Lelouch had done something ill-advised.

"Erm… I mean… well, one time me and Lelouch- your brother- told you that you couldn't go hiking with us because it was a boy's trip, and you would get dirty and muddy and smelly, and then you got mad and scolded us for being chauvinists and insisted on following us all the way out into the woods until you got lost…" Suzaku trailed off, chuckling to himself as the memory came back to him, absently finishing the last buttons on his shirt.

"So we knew each other as children, right? And you said this… Lelouch, was my brother? Can I see him? Where is he? And my parents?" Euphemia pressed, looking almost desperate.

Suzaku drew back, wondering what he should say. "It's… a long story. You should sit down."

He spoke at length with her, trying his best to explain everything, from his first meeting with her and the rest of the Brittanian Imperial Family, to the invasion of Brittania, and then as well a summary of the years up to the present as he possibly could.

"So… my brothers and sisters are all in hiding right now? And that's why you've hired me on as a maid, so you can make sure no one discovers who I really am?" Euphemia chewed her lip, a habit from childhood that signified she was contemplating all the facts thoroughly. "And my parents… are dead?"

"I'm afraid so," Suzaku said quietly, unable to meet her gaze. Her mother, rumors had it, had passed away two or three years ago from an illness. Charles Di Brittania's death had been the catalyst for the surrender seven years ago. "I would like to take you to see your siblings, but… it's too dangerous right now. People might try to use you if they find out who you really are."

"I see." Euphemia's voice was barely above a whisper, and she gripped the sides of the dresser she had planted herself on during the exposition with a white knuckled grip. "So I'm alone."

Suzaku felt lost. Nothing he was saying seemed to improve her mood. Finally, on impulse, he held out his hand. "Hey, come with me. I have someone I want you to meet."

Euphemia looked up at him, eyes shining with tears that were barely being kept in check.

After a few more moments, she took his hand.

000000

"Here's the Student Council Room," Lelouch said slowly, opening the door for Shirley, who continued to steadfastly ignore him.

The room itself was fairly spacious, though filled with all sorts of odds and ends, including a number of unmarked boxes overflowing with a seemingly random assortment of items, ranging from scuba masks to fabric to notebooks. A rack of clothes sat in one corner, from which hung a number of different costumes, including what looked like an overly large frog costume and a maid outfit. A large rectangular table sat in the center, ringed by cushioned wooden chairs. At the head of the table sat a chair that gave Shirley pause- it was a pink, high backed throne with an emblem that Shirley didn't recognize.

"The president's chair," Lelouch explained, noticing her gaze. "She has an 'open door' policy, so we don't really bother locking the door. Best be warned, I wouldn't recommend taking advantage of that policy. Our president's brand of help is… unique, to say the least."

He chuckled, remembering the last poor soul who came in for help. The animal shelter, the mall over by Hyde Park, and the military police were all still smarting over the incident- if the president didn't have such political and financial standing, the school would have gone bankrupt from the lawsuits it had faced.

Shirley remained stone faced.

Sighing inwardly, Lelouch decided to press on. "Since I'm not quite sure what kind of tutoring you need, you're welcome to drop by here and see me after school when you need the help. I'll do my best to make sure I have time-"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Shirley cut in, staring straight at him with a hard look.

Lelouch stared back at her, seemingly unconcerned at her sudden inquisition into his motives.

"I read your file," he said quietly.

Shirley stiffened.

"You seem to get sick a lot, just like Takahata-sensei said, so keeping up with your studies is a problem. But more so, you also probably haven't had too much interaction with the students here," Lelouch continued.

"So what, you're just a Good Samaritan?" Shirley sneered, bristling against his calm tones, feeling as though she was being made fun of. "You pity the poor sick girl who can't make friends?"

"I also read that your father was killed in the invasion."

She flinched as though he'd physically struck her, and fell back a few steps, bracing herself up against the table.

"What gives you the right?" she hissed.

"I'm sorry. But… I think I understand you a little better now. My parents… they died during the invasion as well." Lelouch's face briefly contorted into an unreadable expression, and Shirley got the impression that he was struggling with something. "I know what it's like to lose someone you care about."

"So what, you're a social worker as well as my private tutor?" Shirley said disbelievingly. What the hell was up with this guy?

"I want to help you," he explained, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Not just with your grades. But helping you get accustomed to the school. The Sumeragi Academy was built to foster relations between the Japanese and the Brittanians. As someone who was so hurt by the war, you are one of the people this school is trying to reach out to."

"How nice," Shirley said venomously, knocking his hand aside with visible contempt, turning away from him. "Shall we hold hands and sing songs as well?"

"The president has a quote she likes to say at times like these," Lelouch replied, seemingly unruffled by her increasing aggression, which should have made him suspicious given her supposedly weak constitution. "Peace is won with rice and salt, not swords and spears. Brittania is gone, Shirley-san. No amount of anger or fighting will ever change that."

"And you think it's okay to just roll over and take it?" Shirley whirled on him, eyes blazing as her long hair whipped about. "They killed our families."

"So what would you rather do? Kill them?" Lelouch asked chillingly, gazing back at her, his amethyst eyes darkening almost to midnight black.

Shirley swallowed, her angry retort strangled and dying in her throat. There was no doubt now, he was the same boy as yesterday.

"O-of course not," she stammered out, trying to hide the nervous edge in her voice. God, her anger had nearly blown her cover! "I'm not saying that. But… living in harmony with them? After everything that's happened?"

"In the ashes, life can be born anew," Lelouch murmured, so soft that Shirley barely caught his words. "We can't bring back the dead. All we can do is live the lives we've been given. I don't want to see one more of my countrymen losing their lives to avenge a nation that doesn't exist anymore."

His fists tightened, and the nails bit deep into his palm. Shirley wondered absently who was it that had died to avenge Brittania in his life.

"Blood can't wash away blood," Shirley murmured. It was something her father had said, once.

"You don't have to agree with me. Or like me. If you want, you don't even have to show up for tutoring," Lelouch said softly, as though he hadn't heard her. "But if you change your mind, I'll be here."

He held her gaze, not in challenge, but just… waiting. Patiently. There was no fire in those eyes like other people she'd argued with, only an ideal that was as calm, flowing water, wearing away at all resistance.

It was too much. Without saying a word, Shirley turned, and left, and for the second time in two days, wishing she could forget the words Lelouch Lamperouge had spoken.

000000

Placid eyes watched Shirley's dazed retreat from the corner, unnoticed by anyone else. For a while, her expression remained unreadable, until finally, as though hearing some inaudible voice, her nose wrinkled in annoyance.

"I'm not jealous," C.C. asserted, rolling her eyes.

Her ears twitched as though she heard some teasing reply.

"I'm not stalking him either. He's as helpless as a baby kitten. If I don't make sure he's safe…" C.C. frowned irritably, looking as though someone had cut off her tirade mid-rant. "I am _not_ overprotective."

With a sniff, she whirled aside and began stalking off.

"God, I wish you'd shut up sometimes," she muttered.

000000

"The hospital?" Euphemia murmured quietly, so that they wouldn't be overheard. "Why here? Are you taking me to the doctor?"

"No, not just yet," Suzaku assured her, smiling gently. In his left hand he held flowers- bright magnolias and daisies, which Milly had produced just before they'd left. Questions as to why he had them had gone unanswered thus far. "We need to get all your records straightened out first. But there is someone in here I want you to meet today. Come on."

The building itself, named the Kirihara London Memorial Hospital, was one of the first buildings constructed after the war. It was a tall, sprawling building, and hosted most of the finest medical minds in the area, as well as cutting edge technology, as befitting its status as another subsidiary to the titan of a corporation that was Kirihara Industries.

Euphemia followed Suzaku through a side entrance, rather than the main one, that was seemingly reserved only for nobility. Two stern looking security officers stood guard at the entrance, glaring at anyone who even looked at the doors- and considering that the line at the main entrance held more than a score of people at any on time, it was to be expected that the line-free zone was envied.

The guards outside and the receptionist inside both already knew Suzaku and buzzed him on through as though his arrival was a routine matter. After passing through a spacious and comfortable waiting room, complete with a massive television screen, the two of them made their way into a hallway lined with large windowed rooms, most of which were sealed off by curtains.

"This is a private ward," Suzaku explained softly, as Euphemia looked around in awe. "I'm sad to say it, but this is usually where nobles go to get treated or to hide embarrassing illnesses from the public."

They said nothing further until Suzaku finally stopped in front of Room 2203.

"This is it," he announced quietly, and opened the door without preamble.

Euphemia followed him inside, taking in everything with a slow, cautious look. Suzaku, meanwhile, placed the flowers carefully inside of a strikingly crafted (and expensive looking) crystal vase sitting on the table, taking a pitcher of water that had been left thoughtfully by the nurse and pouring it in as well.

"The nurses know I always bring flowers, but forget the water, so they've started leaving water here for me," Suzaku explained without prompt, face unreadable as he placed himself on the chair closest to the bed.

"Who is she?" Euphemia asked softly, gazing at the figure before them.

"This?" Suzaku's lips briefly shifted into a melancholy smile. "This is your little sister, Euphemia. Nunnally. Nunnally vi Brittania."

Nunnally vi Brittania was delicate, she could see, even though most of her body was covered in white sheets, her skin so pale it was almost chalky. Her long brown hair fell down in waves similar to her own, and there was something in her bone structure where Euphemia could see a family resemblance. A few wires attached to her skin fed back into a monitor which beeped out a slow, steady heart rate.

"My sister," Euphemia whispered reverently. "She… what happened to her?"

"During the invasion, she was… hurt. She's been in a coma ever since. I had ever moved to this hospital after it was built, and I make sure the doctors are doing everything they can for her, but still… there's been no change in her condition. Physically, she's fine, but mentally…" Suzaku sighed, sounding older than he actually was. "Her mind's just… not there. It's inert. She just won't wake up."

"So you've been taking care of her this whole time? For… seven years?" Euphemia asked quietly.

"Your brother asked me, and even if he hadn't… Nunnally is a precious friend to me. I wanted her to be safe and healthy." Suzaku's knuckles tightened for a moment. "I just wish I could do more for her."

For a moment, neither of them spoke, and the sound of Nunnally's monitor filled the room with an almost melancholic monotone.

"I wish I could remember her," Euphemia murmured sadly.

"You will," he said quietly, gently, hesitantly patting her shoulder.

"How can you be so sure?" she turned towards him, eyes quivering, looking as frail and vulnerable as her sister.

"I'm sure. Look, I know Nunnally's not the same as a sibling you can talk to, but… I wanted to show you that there are members of your family out there. That you aren't alone in this world. And besides Nunnally…" Suzaku stood, back straight and defiant, and turned towards her, holding out his hand. "You are also a precious friend of mine, Euphie. You have me. I promise you, I _will _find a way to bring back your memories, and reunite you with your family. I swear it. I _won't_ let you be alone."

Behind him, the sun lit up the room from the window, and illuminated Suzaku's frame, giving him the classic Against The Setting Sun imagery.

For some reason, Euphemia's heart skipped a beat, just before she took his hand.

"Thank you."

**000000**

Still no report from the front. He wasn't exactly concerned, not yet- they were only mopping up the last remaining South Equatorial League forces that had attempted to lay claim to the surrounding islands in the Gulf, with the main back of their forces already broken. It wasn't even a major conflict, more of a bloodying of noses than anything else, but Japan could never allow the enemy to claim islands so close to the coast of Yamato. No one was officially at war- Japan couldn't risk open war with the League without the possibility of the Federation allying themselves against them.

That was why they gave the mission to him, and his unit. Unlike more… _ambitious _members of the military, he wasn't that fond of bloodbaths. And he was grateful, really. Knowing the brass had started trusting him meant that things were finally changing.

But god damn, sitting around waiting was boring.

Not like humming. Humming was such a fun habit. And it helped while away the boredom. With a smile, he began to sing one of his own favorites under his breath cheerfully-

"Commander, my apologies for interrupting your… fun… but there's an incoming call from Kyoto."

Lieutenant Catherine Sancia, his adjutant, a dark haired Brittanian woman, approached him expectantly, arms clasped firmly behind her, looking completely at ease with interrupting his humming despite her apology. Her serious, level headed demeanor was commented as contrasting sharply with his own rather lax (at least for the military) style of command, and her ability to think critically made her a huge asset to his staff, despite her supposed handicap as a Brittanian.

The Japanese military was still very segregated, and "pure bloods" received more promotions, but they were making headway. His own unit, for example, the 75th Armored Regiment, was a mixed unit, thanks in large part to who they were attached to.

Sancia, and his sister especially, were sterling examples of a growing movement towards change.

"Alright, patch it through." He straightened in his chair, absently smoothing out his uniform. Never hurt to look nice in front of the brass.

The screen flashed, and the wrinkled, sly smile of Kirihara Taizou appeared.

"Kirihara-sama. It's been a long time," he greeted formally, bowing his head.

"Naoto-kun, really, there's no need to be so formal," Kirihara said genially, smiling toothily. "Your family may not be one of the Six Houses of Kyoto, but your family are nobles all their own."

It was, of course, a pretense, a simple flattery that was par for the course in Japan. The difference between a member of the Six Houses and any other noble was as substantial as the distance across oceans.

Naoto smiled tightly. "Please, you do me too much honor. What can I do for the Prime Minister this day?"

"Well, I was hoping to speak with you and your sister at the same time. Where is the lovely lady?" Kirihara questioned.

"Ah, she's at the front, as always," Naoto replied, and a note of genuine fondness, beyond the mask of politeness he'd adopted for Kirihara, showed through. "She requested to take the 1st Battalion to scour the last holdout towns, yesterday where the last of the Knightmare forces from the Equatorial League were hiding."

"A pity. Well, I have good news for the both of you," Kirihara said pleasantly. "I have new orders for you, Naoto-kun. You are hereby reassigned to the Brittanian province as Prince Suzaku's Chief of Staff. You are charged with investigating the circumstances behind the death of your predecessor, Colonel Kusakabe, and the defense of the homeland and its interests. Your sister, of course, can accompany you if she wishes. I'm sure the Prince will not object."

"Understood," Naoto acknowledged, inclining his head. "Suzaku, huh?"

"Your sister and the prince were childhood friends, if I remember correctly. I'm sure your sister will be very happy to be reunited with him. Especially given the recent decision made regarding their relationship." Kirihara looked for all the world like a benign grandfather making a gentle tease.

_ Which is what makes him so goddamn dangerous_, Naoto thought inwardly, but kept smiling. "Of course, she will be. And she's always wanted to visit Brittania."

"Ah, of course, I remember," Kirihara nodded, and suddenly Naoto realized he'd made an error, "Your sister is a half-blood, correct? My, sometimes I forget, what with her sterling reputation…clearly, her Japanese blood remains strong, despite the _gaijin_ influence."

Naoto bristled. He'd punched other men for less insulting comments about his sister. But from Kirihara, he could only stand there and have her accomplishments be whittled down to nothing more than "oh how fortunate she's risen above her handicap".

"Well, I'd hate to keep you any longer. You have a battle to win, and preparations to make," Kirihara continued, as though he hadn't just backhandedly insulted anyone, "Japan, Banzai."

"Japan, Banzai," Naoto replied dutifully, and the link closed. "Damn old man…"

"Sir?" Sancia asked quietly, stepping back into view now that Kirihara had ceased communications. The presence of a Brittanian would likely only have made things worse.

"Get through to my sister and the 1st Battalion, would you?" Naoto said tiredly, as he reclined back into his chair feeling drained after that exchange. Politics.

After a few moments, Sancia reported, "The channel is open, sir… we're receiving the feed from your sister's Knightmare now…"

"THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER!" came a roaring female voice from the speakers, "ITS BURNING GRIP TELLS ME TO DEFEAT YOU! SHINING-"

Naoto hit the mute button, and sighed. "I knew I should never have let her watch that show before a battle."

Sancia's lips twitched.

"Let her have her fun then, I guess, then give her an update when the battle's over," Kouzuki Naoto muttered. "Being a big brother is a hell of a job, I tell you."

Author's Notes

The joke about Lelouch thinking Suzaku is better with girls and vice versa is lifted from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. It's just too amusing not to use, and I'll probably keep using it long after this chapter, considering how much romcom I'll be sneaking in.

Milly is clearly the Alfred to Suzaku's Batman.

Sancia is a transplant from Nightmare of Nunnally, which I enjoyed and will be using as an occasional reference or to pull a new character out as necessary. I especially want to bring in Alice, but I still need to find a place for her.

Shirley's character was… difficult this chapter. I'm drawing a lot on Kallen's canon self as well, but Shirley's just turning out… darker. Hopefully though, her character development will put people at ease and show sides of her that are more in line with canon. Euphemia was marginally easier, though I need to adjust to writing her.

P.S. I couldn't get that damn Ear Worm of a song out of my head, so I infected Rivalz with the "Shut Up Woman Get On My Horse" song as well.


	5. Chapter 4: Here Comes The Sun

_"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken."_

_-Fydor Dostoevsky _

Chapter 4

Here Comes The Sun

"Director."

The figure being addressed was sitting in a large, high backed chair, made even more grandiose due to the figure's tiny, child-like frame, with his legs comically dangling just above the floor, absently swinging back and forth. With a playful smile, the Director placed his chin in his hands and propped his elbows up on the desk.

"What news do we have about Subject Zero, Pendragon?" he asked in a boyish, playful tone, staring at the man across from him.

Where the Director was small, nearly comically so, this man he referred to as "Pendragon" was anything but. A large, imposing man, his figure was entirely swathed in a black cloak from head to toe, obscuring almost all his features from view. The only articles that gave any indication about him was the silver insignia at the peak of the robe hood, akin to a bird in flight, and the short dark beard that stretched just beyond the shadows of the hood.

"Our agents report she has indeed made it to Brittania and that the rebels acted upon your suggestion, seizing both her and the prototype bio-synchronized Knightmare Frame, code named 'Caliburn', from the shipping docks. However, her trail has gone cold, and we have been unable to locate her since. It is believed, however," 'Pendragon' continued, somewhat hesitantly, "That given that the prototype has been seen active and in engaged on the field of battle during that incident, we can assume beyond reasonable doubt that Subject Zero has established a contract with a partner, albeit one we have no knowledge of at the current time."

A satisfied, almost gleeful light came into the Director's eyes. "Very interesting. Have our eyes and ears in the homeland doubled immediately. Pull agents out from standby in other regions if you have to. Call in whatever favors you need. I want daily reports on the activities of the prototype, specifically regarding field performance and more importantly what kind of side effects Subject Zero's contract will have on her 'partner'."

"You're not planning on keeping her under a stricter set of controls?" Pendragon's voice seemed to betray the tiniest hint of surprise. "I assumed that you wanted the prototype in the hands of the rebels, where we could observe it more closely."

"I want it in the hands of someone who will use it," the Director corrected, smirking, an adult's expression on a child's face, "The rebels suited my purposes, the same as Kusakabe should he have managed to take it back. This third party, whoever they are, is willing to put my niece's 'gift' to good use, and appear to have survived the initial contract forging, which already escapes the projections set by those at Rosenbaum, who set a mental contamination probability upwards of eighty percent. That's all I care about."

He chuckled. It was not a pleasant sound.

"No matter who has the prototype or Subject Zero, Project Canaan will be able to continue regardless with the data we can gather as a result. What is far more important at the moment are the results from the Rosenbaum Institute regarding the next phase of the project." The pleased look faded, replaced by annoyance as he gestured towards an open folder on his desk.

"Ah. They haven't yet been able to get the enzymes to combine with the host's genetic code then, have they?" Pendragon's voice took on a note of pensive concern. "Subject Zero was able to handle the process, albeit with those rather peculiar side effects regarding her memory, so I wonder why it could be taking them this long to work out the kinks here."

He paused, and moved a white gloved hand to his dark beard to stroke it thoughtfully. "Do you suspect they're deliberately slowing the process down, sir? The applications of our work might be of interest to Einherjar, and we all know how strong their control over the Institute is…"

"No, Einherjar isn't aware of our activities just yet. I suspect they're too busy with their little plot against the Empire to look too closely at any scientific research outside their own private division at the moment," the Director refuted, smiling widely again.

"You're referring to 'Balor', Director?" Pendragon questioned, sounding confused. "I thought it was only a rumor… the work of Section Seven of the Institute is more or less unknown, even to our agents."

"I've heard whispers, dear Pendragon, and seen the account statements of the Institute. Enough steel for over a dozen Knightmare Frames and a store of Sakuradite for a Yamato-class battleship is being funneled into classified projects outside of our control, and increasing more so by the day. It's safe to assume that 'Balor' is nearing completion," the child-like figure responded playfully, a hint of a mirthful smile on his lips, "Though, I must admit even I don't know what Einherjar is planning. I can, however, bet it will be a blow against the Empire, one that will leave no trace of their involvement."

The Director sighed, shaking his head, as if suddenly wearied by the long talk of conspiracies and spinning webs of deceit.

"However, we are getting ahead of ourselves a little," he said softly, propping his elbows on the table, using his palms to support his chin. "It's true that these obstructions are costing us time, however, and Project Canaan is still only in Phase One. But we have all the time in the world to finish- let the Empire and Einherjar fight it out, let them scheme and conspire and bring each other to ruin. It matters not. Our work is beyond mortal matters, after all. Let us just sit back and watch for now, Pendragon, and let my cute little niece and her partner show us the potential of our work."

"As you say, Director, sir," Pendragon said dutifully.

"Don't sound so unenthused, Pendragon," V.V. chided, chuckling as he flashed him a mischievous look. "I'm sure we're in for a real treat."

000000

On the video screen in front of him, the golden Knightmare Frame, currently code-named _Kinma_, or "Golden Devil", tore through what should have been an elaborate trap and absorbed countless rounds that would have torn apart anything short of maybe a foot of solid steel.

"Observation log #29," Naoto said quietly, rubbing his eyes as he pressed the button on the recorder, absently using his other hand to hit the pause button, "Standard 30mm Knightmare assault rifles have proven ineffective against_ Kinma_. Suggestions: retrofitting some units with higher caliber rounds for more effective usage, possibly kinetic energy penetration rounds."

More than anything else, Naoto believed in studying his enemies. It was much more important to know what the enemy had done and what they could do, to know what they _would _do.

Ougi once suggested maybe Naoto's true calling was a historian, an idea he had always wondered about wistfully. But the military was his calling for now. Maybe afterward he could think about that.

In the week since he'd been given the investigation into Kusakabe's death and managed to appropriate all the evidence, including the video feeds from the few Knightmares that had survived the disastrous ambush he had just watched, Naoto had quickly focused on the mysterious Knightmare Frame of unknown origin as his primary suspect. The majority of the evidence corroborated with his theory- Kusakabe and his men were killed by a massive edged weapon, and there weren't too many Knightmare Frames equipped with giant swords in existence.

Inquiries as to where it had come from had been met with dead ends at every turn thus far, however. Judging from ship manifestos of that day and the reports of an insurgent attack at the docks, Naoto figured out where it had come from, but tracing it from there was as fruitful as growing corn on salted ground.

Several ships were hit- obviously only one was actually the target, but it was a good tactic to disguise the real objective from the decoys, especially given that Kusakabe had it shipped without going through proper channels. Damn that corrupt bastard to all hell for that.

Narrowing it down would take time, especially from this kind of distance, and time was a resource Naoto didn't really have just yet.

Behind him, one of the other monitors kept up a steady stream of murmuring background noise playing from the Nihon News Network, ubiquitously abbreviated as NNN, the Empire's primary news network. It was his habit to leave on something to listen to while he worked, though now he wished he had chosen an entertaining channel instead of the news.

"And in other news, in the province of Brittania, yet another terrorist raid on a warehouse depot just outside of the city of Stirling occurred late last night…" Naoto added this incident to a long list of ones he would need to deal with when he arrived, "… due to the recent death of the honorable Colonel Kusakabe Ichiro, the military forces in the region have been hard pressed to organize and halt these terrorist attacks… Expert analysts suggest that these may be the work of the rumored Brittanian Liberation Front, whose leaders and objectives remain unknown…"

"Whenever it rains, it pours," he muttered.

"Sir?" Sancia, at his side, glanced over at him.

"The world's in great shape, isn't it, Lieutenant?" Naoto said rhetorically, with a grim chuckle, casting a meaningful look at the television. "We've got the Eurasian Federation and the South Equatorial League on either side of us, building up their weapons in preparation for a war we all know is coming, and inside, thanks to that jackass Kusakabe getting himself killed, we've got what looks like a clearance sale on terrorists, riots, insurgency… didn't you mention something to me earlier about a Sakuradite tanker earlier today that the brass had a problem with?"

"The _Kaiser Krieg_?" Sancia blinked, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. "It belongs to the Eurasian Federation, of course only through one of the government run corporations but still in practicality government property, but it was lost at sea under suspicious circumstances yesterday. As of this morning, a number of factions in the Eurasian Federation have leveled serious accusations at us, but our government has denied all knowledge and is taking a defensive stance against them."

"Huh." Naoto shook his head again. "We've got enough _real_ problems, between this _Kinma_ and the Brittanian rebels. We don't need fictitious ones."

_People always like to make things out worse than they really are,_ he thought, his mood sardonic and dark.

"Perhaps you should get some rest, sir. Almost all our supplies and equipment have been loaded, and we're all set to move out by tomorrow," Sancia suggested. "There's nothing more you can do, so you can sit back and relax sir."

"I'll save that for when I'm dead," Naoto joked, trying to escape the gloomy mood he had sunk into, "But you're right that I do at least need a break."

He stood up, absently rolling his neck in a vain attempt to remove a crick from it. Sancia gave him a salute, which he returned casually before exiting.

Deciding to go look for his wayward sister, Naoto picked through the stale concrete corridors of their temporary headquarters with relative ease, heading towards the Knightmare bay that had been cordoned off for her use.

When he got there, however…

"What. The. Hell."

Naoto stared blankly at what should have been a hangar containing his sister's personal Knightmare Frame, but instead contained only… nothing, actually. Everything had been taken. Including the Knightmare Frame, which would be fairly difficult to move out of sight without him being alerted, but it had been done.

"Oh!" a surprised cry caught his attention, causing him to turn.

"Alice-chan, just what happened here?"

Alice flushed and backed away slightly, the dark black of her uniform's jacket and pants a contrast with her blonde hair that just barely touched her slim shoulders. She was a war orphan, one of many girls that his sister had unofficially "adopted" by giving them scholarships to a military school. Alice had been the first of them, and in many ways was his sister's shadow.

So for her to be wandering around here alone, seemingly unconcerned with the disappearance of his sister, only meant trouble.

"Naoto-sama, you… I mean… good day!" Alice flushed terribly, and Naoto didn't know whether to groan in despair or chuckle in amusement.

"Alice-chan," he repeated slowly, crossing his arms. He probably should have dropped the cutesy, familiar honorific from her name since she turned fourteen a few months ago, but he'd known her since she was eight years old and incapable of being separated from his sister's leg or a teddy bear for more than five minutes. Old habits tended to die hard.

"… yes, Naoto-sama?" Alice said meekly.

"Where is my sister?" Naoto asked patiently, tapping his finger against his forearm.

Alice ducked her head and mumbled something inaudible.

Naoto sighed, and knelt so that he would be face to face with Alice- he was tall, unusually so for a Japanese man, even taller than some of the Brittanians in his unit. Gently, he placed his hand on Alice's shoulder, and squeezed it once. "Alice, I promise, I won't get mad. Just… tell me what she did."

"… she's gone to Brittania."

"WHAT?"

Alice backed away, holding her hands up defensively. "Um… Naoto-sama, you said you wouldn't get mad…"

"Of all the irresponsible- what the heck could she- without telling me?" Naoto sputtered incoherently, jumping from thought to thought without any kind of connecting dot.

"So… I take it you're upset," Alice said quietly, a trace of sardonic humor in her voice now that his irritation wasn't directed at her.

"Ugh, what do you think?" Naoto muttered. "Okay, Alice-chan, new plan. We're leaving. Today. And God willing, she'll at least have gone to see Suzaku first, and not run of gallivanting on her own…"

000000

"This," Lelouch said slowly, voice soft enough that only he could hear his words, "Is not good."

"Your money," the raggedly unshaven man repeated slowly, waving the grimy steel of his switchblade, behind which glared two unsteady bloodshot eyes.

_Another 'Reaper' junkie, huh? They really are the living dead,_ Lelouch thought to himself, feeling a wave of pity and sorrow for his fellow countrymen that had fallen so far to this new drug.

Damn, if only C.C. had actually gotten off her lazy ass and went with him shopping for the supplies the president had asked them to get (even while still overseas, the president hatched insane ideas for them to try), he wouldn't have gotten into this mess.

Of course, he could also blame the fact that he, in a fit of penny-pinching, had decided to go to a shadier part of town for the supplies rather than risk being gouged by the "higher class" shops nearer to the Academy that always padded on a little extra since he was a Brittanian.

But Lelouch had his pride.

And in any case, blame-storming (a word C.C. had coined one day when Lelouch had ranted for a good hour- completely and utterly justified in doing so, of course- about the disaster that was the impromptu school festival organized by the president) wasn't exactly altering the reality of a knife in his face.

"Alright, just… here, okay?" Lelouch kept his voice even and level, taking careful purpose in each movement. Briefly, he considered using his Geass- but in the end, his vow to remember the consequences of any kind of power abuse kept from activating it. There was no need for such a drastic measure. "I don't want any trouble."

"Money," the mugger repeated, voice raspy as though raw from screaming in torment. His glazed eyes unfocused, and the knife twitched in his hands, looming ever closer to his throat-

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

The mugger's head was suddenly met with a pair of plain white sneakers, followed by slender, but obviously muscular legs encased in tight jeans, and then a redheaded blur streaked past Lelouch, landing gracefully on the ground after having delivered an improbable double flying kick to the man's poor temples.

'Ouch' and 'how did she manage to maintain the momentum to leap that high and that far to kick him in the head' were the two comments that fought to be said first in Lelouch's mind.

"Ouch."

The first was easier and quicker to say.

Turning his eyes from the crumpled, unconscious form of his drug-addled attacker, Lelouch beheld his savior.

She was shorter than him by about half a head, which somehow served to embarrass Lelouch in some tiny, masculine portion of his heart, and her slender, athletic frame was accentuated by the red sports jacket and jeans she wore. Her t-shirt, emblazoned with bright, emphatic patterns of color, Lelouch idly noted, was an independent brand name that had recently gained popularity amongst the Japanese teens. Her red hair, more dark crimson than Shirley's lighter indigo, was spiked up, and almost drew all attention away from the overly large dark sunglasses that dominated her face.

How they managed to stay on her nose when she hurtled through the air to deliver the double jump kick was something Lelouch could not explain, except that the laws of Physics were clearly being paid on the side by the laws of Drama.

"Um… thank you for that," Lelouch said awkwardly.

"No need to thank me," came the voice tonelessly.

_A modest one, huh?_ Lelouch fought back a smile. That was something Suzaku would have said. It was refreshing to meet someone who would so willingly jump to the aid of a total stranger, he supposed.

"Ah, well…" he began, wanting to insist he show his gratitude-

"If you're a man, you should have fought back! You should be ashamed of yourself!" his rescuer jabbed a finger directly in his face, the other hand planted firmly on her hip as her voice took on a lecturing tone.

Lelouch blinked.

"He had a knife," he said slowly, but she cut him off by jabbing him in the chest with her index finger.

"No excuses! What are you, a man or a mouse?"

"I assure you, ma'am," Lelouch said tightly, starting to get irritated despite her rescue, "I am a man. Now, thank you again for your help, and good day."

With a sharp turn, he began stalking off.

_Crazy woman_-

"Not so fast!" a lithe hand wrapped around the collar of his uniform's sports jacket, yanking him back roughly. Lelouch had the brief, strange notion of gratitude that she hadn't grabbed him by the tie to drag him off and coerce him into joining some kind of weird club filled with aliens, time travelers, and espers.

After another moment, he blinked, and wondered if the sudden whiplash had rattled his brains into thinking of such a weird idea.

"Wha-what the hell is wrong with you?" Lelouch sputtered, angrily pulling free of her (surprisingly powerful) grasp, though mostly because she let him go free.

"You still owe me for saving your life," she reminded him briskly.

"I…" Lelouch sighed. Sometimes, the path of least resistance was best. And one of these days, he really did need to sit down and have a talk with Suzaku about women. How could he, a man who could run intellectual circles around every one of his professors, possibly be confounded by the opposite sex this much? And how could Suzaku, admittedly his best friend but hardly the most perceptive of people, get along so well with them? "Fine, what do you want?"

"I need a guide. I'm looking for a place, and this is my first time in London," the redhead explained nonchalantly, crossing her arms. "You're going to help me."

"… you cannot be serious," Lelouch said disbelievingly.

To his surprise, instead of getting angry, she merely smiled brightly. "Or was I wrong in hearing that Brittanians were supposed to be gentlemen?"

"You're… weird," Lelouch muttered, shaking his head_. I_ really _need to have that talk with Suzaku. _"Well, since I highly doubt you'll let me do otherwise, why not. I'll help you, and then we're even. Deal?"

"Deal," she agreed, looking satisfied.

"So, what's your name, anyway?" he asked, glancing over at her with a curious look.

"Kallen," she said, taking off her sunglasses for the first time to meet his gaze, exposing a pair of silver-blue orbs that glimmered in the sunlight. "Kallen Stadtfeld."

000000

"Oops!"

The dish, already slippery from the soapy water, slipped out of her hands and slide back into the sink- thankfully, it was covered in a soft rubber mat to prevent breakages like this from happening, and the added layer of water helped cushion the impact as well.

Euphemia cursed herself. Her mind had been wandering again, and so she made yet another mistake. Suzaku-san had been so kind to take her in, and yet she just couldn't do anything…

Her fingers, which had been grasping for the plate, missed entirely at that thought. There it was again!

With a soft sigh, Euphemia picked up the dish, and began scrubbing it again. Now why was she so… flustered?

Maybe it was because of Suzaku-san's vow… It had already been a week, but those words continued to ring out in her heart like a silver bell on a crisp morning.

_ "You are also a precious friend of mine, Euphie. You have me. I promise you, I __will __find a way to bring back your memories, and reunite you with your family. I swear it. I __won't__ let you be alone."_

Her cheeks colored at remembering the way his face curved into a soft smile, the glimmer of kindness in his green eyes as the sunlight illuminated him as if he were the shining heart of a star.

_Oh damn, the dish slipped out again._

"Think fast!"

Euphemia practically jumped out of her skin as she spun around, just barely managing to catch the rag flying at her face.

"Milly-san!" she said breathlessly. "Please don't do that!"

Milly smiled cheekily. "What's the matter, Euphie-chan? You seem… distracted, ever since you and Suzaku-sama came back from the hospital."

Euphemia felt her cheeks heating up again and she ducked her head. "Sorry," she mumbled apologetically. "I know I haven't been doing a very good job…"

The blonde winked at her. "its okay, it's okay! The matters of a woman's heart are far more important than any dumb dishes!"

Euphemia blinked, suddenly confused. "W-what?"

Milly patted her on the head affectionately. "Nothing, nothing! Now then, let's finish these up, shall we?"

They worked in relative silence for quite some time, and Euphemia found the stack of dishes quickly dwindling now that Milly was there to help her focus.

Finally, after a long silence, Euphemia spoke again, more out of a need to end the silence rather than any particular reason. "I haven't seen Suzaku-sama today. Is he out again?"

Milly smiled at that. "I think by now he's meeting some friends of mine. Oh I wish I could be there to see it…"

"Your friends?" Euphemia blinked.

"Well, really more acquaintances. I met the man through my parents, at a few court functions before Brittania's fall, and the woman through him…" Milly tapped her lip thoughtfully. "He's only a few years older than us, so I think my parents were considering him as a potential match for me. That would have been strange!"

"Is he an odd man, this friend of yours?" Euphemia asked, her tone curious but polite.

"Odd wouldn't even cover half," Milly said impishly, giggling. "Suzaku-sama is going to throw a fit."

000000

"This is the place?" Suzaku glanced up from the directions Milly had copied out for him with a dubious look. He was clothed as anonymously as he could manage in navy blue slacks, a long coat and plain t-shirt, with a pair of rather ridiculously large sunglasses Milly had picked out for him dominating his face.

Lancelot Inc. was a grubby two story office building sequestered amidst innumerable warehouses in what used to be a thriving industrial district of London, but after the war most of the factories were abandoned and now steadily going to rust. The few people who populated this area kept their heads down and avoided his gaze, scurrying away as fast as they could.

It didn't exactly look like the place he should be going to for help, but Milly had promised him that he could trust these people, so he would.

Stepping inside the office, he announced his presence in a quiet, but firm voice. After receiving no response, he began pacing around. There were a few chairs and an unoccupied receptionist's desk in the room, but he focused his attention on the scientific articles clipped onto the walls. Maybe one of them had a clue about how the _Caliburn_ might operate?

The science behind the Knightmare Frame escaped him, he had to admit, no matter how well he could pilot.

_ The Gemini System: Advanced Electron Resonance Theory, by C. Croomy,_ caught his eye for a moment, if only because he saw mention of applications in a Knightmare Frame. However, the technical aspects of it escaped Suzaku's grasp, and he only managed to end up shaking in his head in bewilderment.

"Just what the heck is this trying to say?"

"The Gemini System is supposed to be a method of combining the power of two Yggsdril Drives in a single machine through a resonance effect," said a melodious voice that had the unmistakable quality of motherliness that wouldn't be out of place in a kindergarten teacher or a saint, "The combined energy output would grant the user quite limitless possibilities."

Suzaku nodded thoughtfully as he turned around. "I see. It does sound very interesting. Why isn't anyone trying it?"

"Ah, well…" the speaker, a blue-haired, grey eyed young woman maybe eight or so years older than himself in a simple mechanic's jumpsuit, looked vaguely embarrassed, color blossoming on her porcelain cheeks. "The studies done showed that the Gemini System requires extremely precise calibrations… and it also has the potential to make both Core Luminous modules… explode, shall we say? Along with about everything else within a hundred meter radius, I'm afraid."

Suzaku blinked. "Oh."

"Now then… welcome to Lancelot Inc. My name is Cecile Croomy. I've prepared some tea, as well as a freshly baked batch of curry chocolate cookies. Please, help yourself," Cecile said generously holding out a plate of cookies.

The primal part of Suzaku's mind screamed at him to flinch and run away at the smell, but Suzaku's inner core of goodness forced it down in an epic wrestling match (ending with a DDT to the face of Primal!Suzaku) and made Suzaku stand his ground and take the offered 'treat'.

"Thank you," Suzaku said politely, wondering if it was going to be his last words, and bit down onto it. Doing his best to ignore the taste, he asked politely, "So, you authored that article?"

"Oh yes, but that was quite a while ago," Cecile explained, smiling and nodding along. "So, what brings you to our office today?"

"A friend referred me," Suzaku replied, before taking a big gulp of tea, thanking whatever powers were listening that the taste was strong enough to counteract the cookie. "I have… a job of sorts. If you aren't too busy."

"Please, we'd be glad to help. Just let me get him," Cecile assured him.

"Him?" Suzaku paused. Milly did mention the person in question was a man. "But you wrote that paper, and you're a scientist…"

"Oh, I did write that paper, but the person you want to talk to about this is Lloyd-san. Come with me, he's in the lab." Cecile turned, setting down the tray on the receptionist's desk, and gestured for him to follow.

She took him into the back part of the office, which was littered with innumerable boxes of mechanical parts, scientific journals, and what looked like a tiny kitchen area tucked away in the corner. From there, she made a few sharp turns until they reached another door, which opened to reveal a set of stairs leading down into a basement.

"Right this way."

They went down into the depths of the basement, where Suzaku spotted even more boxes of mechanical parts and tools strewn about without even the vaguest pretentions of organization. Still, it did look like a lab of sorts, he had to admit, especially given the three elongated, stainless metal workbenches that dominated the far end of the room which held all sorts of half-complete gadgets and unplugged tools.

At the farthest workbench, the hunched, though still fairly tall, form of a silver-haired man was crouched over one such machine, tools in hand, as he sang a song loudly to himself.

"I want to be the very best, like no one ever was! Dun dun dun dun! To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause! Duh duh duh! I will travel across the land, searching far and wide…"

"Lloyd-san," Cecile interrupted patiently, "We have a client."

"In a minute!" came the sing-song response. "I've almost got this calibrated!"

Cecile offered Suzaku an apologetic look, and stepped toward Lloyd with a patiently exasperated expression as she picked up a complicated looking tool and began working on the machine in front of him.

"The Anti-Gefjun Disturber again?" she asked, seeming to not expect an answer. "Lloyd-san, you know that no one's even made a working Gefjun Disturber yet, let alone needed a countermeasure…"

"Aha! But they will. And besides, who says they haven't? I hear the Rosenbaum Institute is working on it, and of course you know Rakshata-chan has always had an interest in it…" Lloyd hummed off-key to himself, chuckling. "There we go! All finished."

With a flourish and a spin of his heel, Lloyd turned suddenly to face him, causing Suzaku to start and step back, startled.

"Now then… Lloyd Asplund, at your service, mister… well, I don't know your name, but you look awfully like the Crown Prince's face in photographs and television." Lloyd's face held a sly, playful smile as he let the unspoken question stand.

Suzaku sighed. No sense in hiding his identity, not if he was going to be working with these people like this.

"That's because I am him," he admitted, removing the sunglasses- absently, he heard Cecile take a sharp intake of breath, "And I've come to you because I need you to take a look at a Knightmare Frame for me, without attracting too much attention. I can pay whatever you want, just as long as you swear to me you won't breathe a word of what you're doing to anyone outside of this room."

Lloyd hummed amusedly. Cecile looked almost stricken, as though she was torn between wanting to bow respectfully and asking about the particulars of this contract that needed such strict stipulations.

"I need an answer soon," Suzaku said softly, but firmly. Milly could only cover for his disappearances for so long, after all, especially given the current crisis situation.

"Sounds interesting," Lloyd said cheerfully, and Cecile shot him a severe look. "We'll take the job."

000000

Kallen Stadtfeld, Lelouch decided, was utterly impossible.

"What's that over there?" she would ask, and without waiting for a proper response, drag him over to the point of interest, all the while keeping up a steady stream of questions regarding the place, barely leaving him time to answer each before making the next one, let alone giving him time to catch his breath.

Her energy was boundless, it seemed, and exponentially increased by what seemed like an overflowing amount of curiosity towards everything Brittanian.

"So what was up with that man who attacked you, anyway?" Kallen questioned, as they existed the third store she dragged him into.

Lelouch blinked, pausing at the sudden topic, before answering succinctly, "A drug addict, one people around here have taken to calling 'the living dead'. There's quite a number of them out there nowadays."

"I've never heard of this kind of thing happening here before, especially not in London," Kallen said dubiously, furrowing her eyebrows.

"It's only recently becoming a serious problem," Lelouch admitted quietly. He had been following it on the news for some time now. "The drug is apparently called 'Reaper', and it's highly addictive, and also highly poisonous to the body. People who get addicted tend to die soon after, either trying to find more drugs or from an overdose."

"How awful," Kallen murmured, and her fist clenched tightly. "Why isn't anyone doing anything about it?"

"Who are you talking about?" Lelouch questioned flatly, before he could stop himself. "Brittanians are all looking for an escape, a way to forget what's happened. A lot of the government officials are probably being paid off by whoever is flooding the streets with 'Reaper' anyways, so they won't interfere."

His frustration was almost palpable- so many of his people (and, no matter what his name had changed to, Lelouch could not deny he felt a deep empathy for the people he could have ruled) were suffering and dying, and no one was able to change that fact.

Unconsciously, he remembered the contract he had formed with C.C. But what good could a single Geass do to alleviate the suffering of a nation?

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost missed Kallen's murmured words, said in a tone that brooked no argument, and would take no compromise.

"That's going to have to change."

Lelouch blinked. "What was that?"

Kallen seemed startled out of her words, flushing red and backing away quickly. "N-nothing," she asserted firmly. "I said nothing. Now come on."

The abrupt change in topic irritated Lelouch, but he held it down, figuring now was as good a time as any to get in a few questions.

"Where did you live before coming here?" Lelouch asked, "You're obviously never been to London, or even Brittania, for that matter, if you haven't heard anything about 'Reaper'."

"Overseas," she answered, somewhat evasively, and he frowned at the sudden change in her normally forward manner. "I was born overseas and lived there all my life, so this is the first time I've even been to Brittania."

She said no more on the subject, as the sight of a quaint little tea shop caught her interest.

"Didn't you want meet to take you somewhere? Or did you just need someone to point out things of interest for you?" Lelouch asked, suddenly feeling irritated at how much time he was losing. At this point, finishing the shopping the president had tasked for him to complete was hopeless.

"We'll get there eventually, I'm sure," Kallen said, waving off his concerns. "In the meantime, I want to get as much exploring done as I can before my brother finds me."

"Your brother?" Lelouch blinked. Now that was something she hadn't mentioned before. Ignoring the brief pang as he thought of Nunnally, he asked, "Why would your brother finding you be a problem?"

For the first time, Kallen actually looked mildly contrite.

"He means well," she admitted sheepishly, "But he'd never want me just wandering the city on my own. Plus, once he gets here, it means I have to start doing… my job."

Lelouch frowned at the hitch in her voice as she finished speaking, the way she hesitated slightly over the words 'my job', but he let it go. There was no point prying into secrets that she obviously wanted kept.

"Brothers are supposed to worry about their little sisters," he said offhandedly, without thinking.

Kallen gave him a curious look, peering over her large sunglasses at him. "You have a sister?"

Lelouch nearly tripped. He hadn't meant to say anything, at least out loud. Talking about Nunnally, or indeed any other member of his family always brought up unpleasant memories more than they did the good ones.

"Yes," he said quietly, after a few moments had passed. "I haven't seen her in a long time though. Or any of my family, for that matter."

He swore inwardly. Now where did _that_ comment come from? He never spoke about his family, not to anyone, not even C.C. and Jeremiah. Why the hell was he talking about this, anyway?

"That sounds very sad," Kallen said, and her voice held a surprising amount of sympathy.

Lelouch instinctively straightened. "I make do," he said uncomfortably, "I'm not alone. I have… others, by my side. They help me as best they can. They are… a family of sorts, you could say."

When Jeremiah wasn't fussing over him like a mother hen. When C.C. wasn't trying to drive him up a wall.

"Then you're very lucky, don't you think?" Kallen said thoughtfully, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I suppose I am," Lelouch admitted.

If C.C. ever found out he said that, though, he would probably have to kill himself.

"Oi! You scum!"

His wry humor dissipated as both he and Kallen turned to look at where the sudden shout had originated from. Across the street, a commotion had broken out as a young Brittanian boy, barely looking to be about ten or so, was shoved roughly down to the ground from the doorway of a nearby shop by a furious looking Japanese man.

"I told you before that if I caught you stealing from me again I'd beat you within an inch of your life," he snapped, towering over the boy.

"I need that medicine! My sister, she's…" whatever the boy was saying was cut off by another angry roar from the shopkeeper.

"No money, no medicine! That's how this world works boy!"

Lelouch couldn't help but notice that everyone else on the street had abruptly turned their gazes pointedly away, and sighed inwardly. That was just how things were, he knew, and however much it turned his stomach, he had to ignore it as well.

"What the hell are you doing!"

Every eye on the street now, however, had swiveled back, even for just a second, at the newest shout- and Lelouch couldn't suppress a groan at seeing Kallen standing between the irate shopkeeper and the boy.

Even from a distance, he could see her eyes glittering with a fierce kind of defiance as her fists planted themselves on her hips. "He's just a boy!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"He's a thief!" the shopkeeper responded angrily, looming over her. "I'm gonna teach him a lesson, so get out of my way bitch! Unless you want to take on his punishment yourself!"

"Then call the police if you have to!" Kallen snapped back, still standing over the boy. "There's no reason to get violent!"

"You're Brittanians," he sneered. "I can do whatever I want to you scum. Don't you know who I am? My father is a government official! I can have you all arrested for even standing here against me!"

_Not good._ Lelouch knew that shopkeeper, and knew he had connections with the government, and more importantly, that he was willing to abuse it, as he had done so before several times. He would make good on that threat if necessary.

Gritting his teeth, Lelouch went after her doggedly, placing himself between Kallen and the enraged man.

"Sorry," he said quickly, bowing his head. "My friend, she's not from here, sir. Please, forgive her."

"You-" Kallen sucked in a breath, obviously surprised by his sudden intervention, but anything she was about to say was interrupted by the shopkeeper.

"Idiot boy! Keep your damn woman in line!" the angry tirade was nothing new, but the swift slap that Lelouch received by the older man actually startled Kallen out of her thoughts.

Lelouch staggered back, but remained with his head bowed. Kallen was about to step forward, enraged on his behalf, when a restraining arm was placed on her elbow.

"Please," he said quietly, and though he wasn't looking at her, she understood.

Kallen relented, and Lelouch spoke again. "I'll pay for what the boy stole. Just… let him go. Please."

"Hmph." The man crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "It seems you at least know your place in this world, boy. Good. I'll be merciful just this once and let it go. Though I'll be expecting a little extra, on account of my overlooking this…"

He held out a hand expectantly, and Lelouch handed him a fistful of bills, far more than whatever little amount of medicine had been stolen.

Satisfied, the shopkeeper gave them all a distasteful look, and then turned and walked away back into the store.

The Brittanian boy, who had gone silent, gave Lelouch a grateful look. "Thank you," he said quietly, slightly ashamed at having been saved by two strangers.

Lelouch smiled, his expression so unexpectedly kind that Kallen was momentarily thrown at how much gentler he looked with it on. "You were doing what you had to do for your sister. You're a good brother. She's lucky to have you. Now go on, and don't steal again, okay?"

"Y-yes sir," the boy nodded, and then gave Kallen, then Lelouch, an awkward bow and left with another hasty word of thanks.

As soon as he was gone, Kallen yanked her arm away from Lelouch's grip, giving him a hard, though not necessarily angry look.

"Why did you just let him do that to that kid? What he was doing was wrong, and you know it!"

Lelouch's gentle expression faded into a piercing look as he gazed back at her fearlessly. "And what would you have done? Hit that man? Escalated this from a simple case of shoplifting to assault? Maybe you could get away with it, but that boy would never be able to escape this incident then. All the other Japanese shopkeepers around here would know what happened, and they'd make life impossible for him just to show that they can't be pushed around by Brittanians."

Kallen looked stunned, yet again.

Lelouch sighed, and pinched his nose, looking drained from loosing such a tirade as he turned away.

"Come on. Let's keep going. I don't want to lose any more time." He chanced a glance back at her, and after a moment, Kallen's face broke out into a smile.

"You know, maybe you're more of a man than I gave you credit for," she said lightly, and there was a vaguely mischievous light in her eyes as she spoke.

Lelouch blinked, flushed red, and wished yet again that he had Suzaku's grasp for understanding the female mind.

000000

Suzaku sneezed.

"Bless you," Cecile said kindly, handing him a handkerchief with a matronly smile.

"Ah, thank you," Suzaku replied, politely refusing the kerchief.

They were in the old tunnel system that connected to his private manor, where Suzaku had stashed the _Caliburn_. Milly had thoughtfully (and somewhat mysteriously) acquired a large tarp to cover the machine and even an old army Armored Knightmare Carrier (AKN for short) to store it in and allow for easier transportation.

Where and how Milly had found it, and, perhaps more importantly, what funds she used to acquire it, were matters that Suzaku decided to leave well alone.

It had taken a surprisingly small amount of convincing to get Lloyd and Cecile to come with him into the tunnels, and Suzaku hardly had time to open the _Caliburn'_s hatch when Lloyd happily started poking at thegolden Knightmare with all manner of strange devices, leaving Suzaku and Cecile where they were now, loitering around just outside the vehicle.

"Shouldn't you help him?" Suzaku asked quietly, glancing at Cecile, who smiled in response.

"Oh no, I wouldn't dream of bothering him right now. I'll go in later and have a look myself, but for now I'll let him have his fun," she answered, sounding for all the world like a patient mother speaking about her overly rambunctious six-year old.

"Uh huh…" Suzaku said noncommittally.

"Very interesting!" Lloyd practically cackled, clapping his hands delightedly from inside the cockpit of the mecha. "The interface is completely different from any standard Knightmare model in production! I've never even heard of some of the changes they've made to the operating system."

"It seems to control like any other Knightmare Frame," Suzaku said guardedly.

"It doesn't," Lloyd corrected, poking his head out with a grin. "A lot of key components, such as the pilot's Driver to initialize the machine, have been utterly bypassed. Whatever activates this Frame is something no one's ever seen before."

"What does that mean?" Suzaku asked.

Lloyd paused, tapping his cheek thoughtfully, as if wondering how to explain. "It's like someone heard about a Knightmare Frame without knowing what goes on inside, and went about constructing it in a completely different manner. One could say you might not even be able to qualify this as a Knightmare Frame under its current definition at all."

His stomach churning, Suzaku questioned hesitantly, "Than what would you say it was?"

"If I had to guess?" Lloyd's smile seemed devoid of warmth. "The dawn of a new age."

His words reverberated into an empty, hollow silence.

"Or something like that, anyways," Lloyd continued, shrugging nonchalantly. "Whatever this is, it'll change everything we know about Knightmare Frame combat once we know what it can really do."

For some reason, Suzaku shivered, and wondered yet again exactly what they had done to Euphemia… and now, with a cold spasm of fear, what she in turn had done to him.

"How long do you think it would take you to figure out how this works?" Suzaku pressed_. And more importantly, to know how it and Euphie are tied._

"Maa… who knows," Lloyd said whimsically. "Why, do you have something important that needs doing first?"

Suzaku thought again about Euphemia, and decided against telling others about her. No sense in being reckless with that information.

"No. I'm just concerned, that's all." He straightened, set his mouth in a stern line, and spoke firmly. "Lloyd-san, Cecile-san, Milly told me I could trust you, but I need your word that you won't tell a soul about this machine."

"And if we don't…" Lloyd ventured, an unreadable, mysterious lilt of a smile playing on his face.

"I'll use every bit of my power to _make _you keep quiet."

Suzaku felt like a hypocrite in that moment, sickened by even making such a threat, hollow though it was. He was no better than the corrupt Empire he hated. But right now, it wasn't just his life on the line- if Lloyd or Cecile spoke a word of this to anyone, Milly and Euphemia would be in just as much danger.

And that… that was too unbearable to think about.

"Is that understood?" he asked, keeping his features as harsh and stern as possible.

Cecile said nothing, and looked won at the ground.

Suzaku felt his stomach drop. So were they really untrustworthy after all…

"Scary…" Lloyd suddenly said, all friendly, open smiles again. "Well, I'll keep quiet. This machine is fascinating, and if I tell, every other egghead will be trying to crack its secrets instead of me. So, we'll be good."

Suzaku sighed in relief.

"For now."

Suzaku nearly tripped over himself at the addendum, but before he could reply, Cecile had given Lloyd a rather frightening bop on the head.

"He's joking, of course," she said, smiling that same placid smile as before. "We're honored to work with you, Suzaku-sama."

"… Same to you," Suzaku said slowly, with a bit of reservation. Nonetheless, he held out his hand, which Lloyd took energetically, and shook, sealing the deal.

000000

"And here's my inventory report on our remaining materiel," Kewell said quietly, passing him a pile of paper that looked like it might be capable of killing a man through blunt force trauma, "We currently are reduced to four working De Dannan Knightmare Frames, with Fenette's machine still needing a replacement arm and Stun Tonfa, meaning only three are actually battle ready. Munitions are in equally short supply, and we're down to the last crate of Sakuradite energy packs for fuel."

"At least we've still got our health," Gino joked glumly. The desk he was seated at bore a special recessed safe in the bottom drawer, where he kept all the documents relating to his "underground" activities. They were at a hidden basement room underneath one of his family's estates, one of the few remaining to the Weinberg family after the fall of Brittania. This one was his own, allotted for his own personal use.

"Quite. Aside from our casualties, the remainder of our forces are more or less hale," Kewell acknowledged.

"I notice you're dodging the fact that our casualties included more than half of our agents," Gino said quietly, raising his eyebrow.

"It was_ not_ your fault my lord. We were unprepared for the scale of retaliation the Japanese forces would present, that is all," Kewell stated firmly, his insistent tone making it clear they'd had this discussion before.

Despite his intentions, however, Gino's face remained troubled. "In any case, I'm gonna send a message to the boys at Richmond that I'm putting us on Inactive status until we can rebuild. We don't have nearly enough to be able to be effective as we are now."

"I assume they've got their hands full as is, and aren't keen on wasting resources," Kewell said observationally, glancing towards the brightly lit television, which was currently running a report on the latest uprisings throughout the country.

"It looks like we've opened up a floodgate. Everyone in the Liberation Front is more or less wanting to get a piece of the action we started up," Gino noted, frowning slightly. "Japan hasn't retaliated in kind yet, but you can bet they will, and soon."

"I'm sure the Commander has thought of something to deal with that," Kewell said stoically, with just a hint of reverence for the person he was speaking of.

The Commander of the Liberation Front was a shadowy figure, all but unknown to the front-line resistance cells such as Gino's, but nonetheless also a legend amongst them. Orders and battle plans drawn up by the Commander made it clear that he (or maybe she, Shirley often asserted, rather indignantly) was a tenacious and inspired tactician.

It was the Commander who devised the command structure of the Liberation Front, with a number of regular soldiers reporting to a cell leader, who, along with many others, reported to a regional leader, and up and up the chain till it reached the Commander. It was a solid tactic for a small, subversive group such as theirs, though it did limit their ability to work in a larger, more cohesive group.

"Well, if he has, then it's his problem," Gino muttered, shutting his eyes and leaning back into his chair, letting out a low exhale as he did so. "For now, let's just concentrate on getting back on our feet."

"Understood sir," Kewell affirmed. "Is there anything else you need from me?"

Gino cracked open a single eye, his tired expression fading in favor of a wry, mischievous look. "In a hurry to get somewhere, are we?"

Kewell paused, and then, as if suddenly realizing something, his face colored. "You… you read my text messages again, didn't you sir?"

The blonde gave him an innocent smile.

"…" Kewell sighed. "It's not what you think. I'm just looking after her siblings tonight while she works a late shift, and so she's treating me to dinner afterward. There is nothing special about this."

"No matter how much you'd like there to be," Gino needled, his persona of a battle-weary commander traded off for the demeanor of a cheeky little brother teasing his older sibling. "Shouldn't you just tell her you like her already?"

"We're still in the middle of a war, sir. If I allow her to get close, and something should happen… I don't want to put that kind of grief on her," Kewell said quietly, determinedly staring down at the ground.

"Don't sound so maudlin," Gino muttered, giving him a friendly punch on the arm. "You're not gonna die. Shakespeare said it best, didn't he? It's better to have loved and lost and all that?"

"That was Tennyson," Kewell corrected, sounding bemused. "Though considering you slept through all your history and literature lessons, I suspected you wouldn't know that."

"Yeah, yeah, you were always smarter than me in that department," Gino shrugged, putting his arms behind his head as he leaned back in the chair. "Now get outta here. Or would you rather be spending your night with me rather than the company of your pretty lady friend?"

"Sir, with all due respect, shut up," Kewell muttered, saluted, and left.

Gino cackled.

000000

It had been over a week now that Shirley had been coming to these tutoring sessions, and every time she wished she hadn't taken on this (admittedly rather self-appointed) mission, or that she had the sense to quit. But she was still sure that Lelouch Lamperouge knew more about what happened that day in the Underground than he was letting on, and this seemed like the best way to ferret information out of him.

It was not, as Rivalz kept insinuating, an excuse to spend more time with the infuriating prick of a man that was Lelouch Lamperouge.

Since their first… argument, so to speak, Lelouch had refrained from making any more 'charitable' overtures, but nonetheless Shirley still caught him giving her weighing, considering looks that made her bristle, as though she was some kind of puzzle he needed to figure out.

It didn't help that Lelouch's apparent fame within the school had begun rubbing off on her as more and more people noticed that their school idol had begun spending time with a member of the opposite sex. No matter how many times Shirley denied any accusations of a relationship, they kept sprouting up like weeds.

Life on the battlefield, she realized, was far more straightforward than school life. At least there, once you knocked your enemy out, they tended to stay out.

With that in mind, she opened the door…

And found only C.C., absently looking up from a tabloid magazine, gazing back at her, without any sign of Lelouch.

"Yes?" she asked, raising her eyebrow critically.

Shirley visibly took a step back.

"I… I came to see Lelouch. For the tutoring session," she added, rather quickly.

"Is that right?" C.C. pursed her lips into a lilting smile that set Shirley on edge, humming absently as she leaned forward, setting the magazine down on the table. "How very diligent of you."

Shirley stiffened, and tried to hide the fact that her fists were on the verge of literally shaking with rage at the other girl's needling.

"It was on sensei's request," Shirley said automatically.

"Of course," C.C. agreed with a patronizing tone so thick you could walk upon its surface.

_I am just going to snap. I could reach out and kill her. Wouldn't even make a sound._

"… is he here?" Shirley asked reluctantly, knowing this would be about as pleasant as pulling teeth.

"No," C.C. answered succinctly, and said nothing more.

It took every ounce of training she had gained over the years for Shirley not to snap. "Then where is he?" she asked, gritting her teeth.

"I have no idea," C.C. said lightly, leaning forward with a smile playing on her lips. "Maybe you should just call him and ask."

That would help, Shirley thought, but refused to be grateful for that bit of common sense, served on a platter of smugness as it was. Her phone was halfway out of her bag when she realized something, however.

"Er…" Shirley paused. She didn't have his number.

"Here," C.C. said, grabbing her phone unceremoniously and absently punching in a number. Without waiting for any kind of confirmation, she hit the call button and passed it back. "There you go."

"W-wait a minute! Why couldn't you have just called him! I… I don't want to…" Shirley's protests fell away as the ringing of the phone stopped, replaced by a short click and the unmistakable voice of Lelouch came through.

_ "Hello?"_

"Um…"

_"Who is this?"_

Shirley was at a complete loss for what to say.

_ "If this is the pizza parlor on Fifth street, for the last time, I swear we will square our tab with you next month."_

"What?" Shirley blinked. "What are you talking about?"

_"That voice… Shirley-san?"_ Lelouch's voice was tinged with a mixture of recognition and confusion. _"How did you get my number?"_

"I… look, that doesn't matter," she said quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up as she glossed over C.C.'s abrupt placement of the call, "Where are you? I'm at the Student Council room at our usual time…"

_"… I knew I forgot something,"_ Lelouch muttered, barely audible through the phone.

"You forgot?" Shirley's voice took on an edge, and a growl was held barely in check at the back of her throat. "I thought you were the one who was trying to 'help' me, after all."

The outright derisive mockery in her voice was rather unprovoked, she would think later, but for some reason her normal rationale had so far gotten thrown out the window when dealing with Lelouch Lamperouge.

_"My apologies,"_ Lelouch said hurriedly. _"I… I got caught up with doing errands for the Student Council."_

In the background, Shirley heard another voice- a _girl's _voice- calling out to him, and her eyes narrowed.

"Is that a girl?" she asked slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, C.C.'s expression never changed, but there was a subtle straightening in her posture.

_"W-what? No, that's just someone passing me in a crowd_," Lelouch asserted, suspiciously prompt in his response. _"Listen, I'm really sorry about missing our tutoring session today. I'll make it up to you, I promise."_

"Hey, wait a minute-" Shirley began, but before she could finish her sentence the phone clicked and the line disconnected.

"He hung up on you, huh?" C.C. observed slowly.

"… shut it," Shirley muttered, gritting her teeth. Oh how she hated Lelouch Lamperouge…

000000

"Who was that?" Kallen asked, peering at him quizzically. They were strolling side by side down the street, finally on their way to whatever mysterious destination she had request he guide her to.

"Just a fellow student," Lelouch said distractedly, shutting the phone.

"Why'd you lie and say you were running errands, if it was just another student?" Kallen continued. "Sounds like whoever was on the other line was a little upset."

Her face broke out into a mischievous grin. "Was it a girlfriend?" she teased.

Lelouch balked, and then, to Kallen's surprise, burst out laughing.

"You're kidding me. Shirley-san seems more likely to tear my face off with her teeth than kiss me," he muttered, shaking his head. "Even if she and I were reborn fifty times, she'd still hate me just as much."

"If you say so," Kallen said noncommittally, a smile playing on the edges of her lip.

Lelouch was about to snap back a reply when his eyes wandered up, caught the number of the building they were passing, and stopped him.

"We're here," he announced. "Wherever here actually is, anyway…"

His mutterings faded as he chanced a glance at Kallen, whose face had changed into a look of hesitant wonderment.

Lelouch was puzzled. The apartment building they had stopped in front of was decidedly unimpressive, bordering on ramshackle. While not one of the absolute worst areas of post-invasion London, it was still far from ideal, and hardly the kind of place a complete foreigner would have gone to in their first day in Brittania.

"Hey, what is here, anyway…" he began to ask, but trailed off as Kallen, as if in a dream, started towards the steps of the building, pushing aside the doors as though they weren't really there.

They walked through the front door, through the trash-littered hallway and into a grubby elevator where the half the buttons were scratched up so badly they wouldn't have gotten away easily. They rode the elevator in silence till the third floor, where Kallen and Lelouch disembarked.

It was at this point that Lelouch finally felt compelled to speak, his curiosity overwhelming him at last. "What are we doing here, Kallen-san?" he asked quietly.

Kallen, however, seemed in a daze, and instead of responding practically glided towards a nearby door. As she reached it, extending her hand out to knock, however, her fist hesitated over the stained, faded wood.

"Kallen-san?" Lelouch repeated, voice barely above a whisper.

Her face hardened, and she knocked once. The pregnant pause following the hollow sound was deafening.

Then, ever so slowly, the door opened.

Lelouch stared at the man who stood behind the open portcullis. He was many decades older than them, in his late forties more or less, but it seemed the years had been viciously unkind to him, aging him prematurely. The atmosphere around him was that of a crumbling ruin of a once great monument, all but the barest vestiges of majesty stripped away by the ravages of time.

His face would have been handsome once, with high cheekbones and an aquiline nose and a stern mouth, though now it was marred by worry lines and a ragged gray stubble. His clothes were shabby- perhaps once they were good quality material, but wear and tear and poor maintenance had left it hanging by the barest threads. What was still sharp and clear, like the last laurels left on a ruined statue, however, were his eyes- steel-blue, same as Kallen's.

This last observation came in at the same time as Lelouch's ears caught Kallen's faint whisper.

"Father…"

Lelouch's head snapped around to stare at the redhead, whose eyes had widened into saucers, tears threatening to spill out from them as they watered.

The man's eyes widened, and, in a voice that spoke of clear disbelief, whispered, "Kallen?"

As if waiting for this signal, Kallen burst out into a charge and all but tackled the man, wrapping her arms around him fiercely, burying her face in his chest with a quiet sob.

"Father," she repeated again, sounding younger than her years.

"Kallen… is that really you?" he said softly, hesitantly placing his arms on her shoulders and pushing her gently back, just enough so he could see her face. As certainty took hold of him, he gently pushed aside an errant strand of red hair from her eyes. "My God, you've grown…"

"It's been over ten years. I should have," Kallen said lightly, chuckling even as an errant tear slipped down her cheek.

"Ten years… God, it feels like a lifetime," her father muttered, shaking his head. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see you!" Kallen said fiercely, the sudden change in tone jarring Lelouch. "I've wanted to see you… Mother has too! I know she has! You can come back with me! To Japan! I know that the Imperial Council will listen to us this time!"

She sobbed again, and it her father's expression twisted into a look of supreme agony, so much so that Lelouch averted his gaze, not wanting to peer into such a private family moment.

What the father said, however, caused his head to whip around.

"You should not have come."

Kallen pulled back as if burned, eyes wide and full of incomprehension. "W-what…"

All trace of the father who was meeting his beloved, lost daughter had suddenly vanished, abruptly replaced by a face that could have been carved from deathly cold marble.

"This is not where you should be," he said slowly, with all the weight of a hammer stroke behind his words. "You remember what they said, don't you? You were never to see me again. And yet here you are."

Kallen's mouth opened as she tried to speak, but her words seemed to wither away and left her with only silence.

He turned away, and his back was as immobile and unbending as steel.

"I will forget you came here today. Best you do the same, child."

"Father… I… but…" Kallen reached out a shaking hand to him, but it fell just short as he spoke again.

"Go, I said."

The tortured, piercing look of pain that marred Kallen's features, which had been full of smiles but a moment ago, disturbed Lelouch in a way he had never really known before- not quite the same as any time he saw Nunnally's or even Euphie's crying face, to be sure, but nonetheless there was a distinct empathic pain he felt in his heart.

"But…"

"Go!"

Kallen flinched as though struck. With a single, broken sob, she turned and fled.

Lelouch remained where he was, his mind whirring furiously as he played out the conversation over and over again. All the while, Kallen's father stood still in the doorway, paralyzed like a stone.

Finally, Lelouch spoke.

"The former Lord Matthew Stadtfeld, Earl of Essex. It is you, isn't it?" The question was all but rhetorical, and Lelouch continued without waiting for a response. "The name Stadtfeld… I thought I'd heard it before. All the pieces make sense now about her. That makes Kallen-san a half-blood Japanese and Brittanian, doesn't it?"

Matthew Stadtfeld turned towards him with an unreadable expression.

"Yes," he said tonelessly, and then added, with a tone that bordered on insolent, "Your Majesty."

Lelouch blinked, and then chuckled in understanding at the rough tone from the older man. "I'm not here to play games, Stadtfeld, and I'm not interested in blackmail, if that's what you're wondering. It's merely a coincidence that your daughter happened to drag me all the way here."

"A strange coincidence," Matthew echoed, and then beckoned him with a wave of his hand. "Inside. I'd rather not have anyone prying."

Lelouch followed him dutifully, though privately amused at the horrific breach in protocol at having a mere earl ordering about a prince.

As they stepped inside, Lelouch spoke again.

"I remember now… the incident involving the name Stadtfeld. You had an affair with the heiress of the Kouzuki Clan, causing a scandal between the Empire and the Japanese when you were found out. Since the heiress had an official husband, both sides were in an uproar. The Japanese demanded compensation, and at that time hostilities were already at a breaking point, with the war only a few more years away, so my father had you stripped of your titles and land, and forbade you to see your mistress or your child ever again, a condition the Japanese Empire promised to enforce with prejudice."

"She was seven at the time," the former lord said softly, gazing at a portrait on the mantle. "I could only visit her secretly, and in a year we might meet only enough times that you could count on your hands, but she never seemed to mind. She always seemed so happy…"

"That's her, isn't it?" A closer look provided another, more surprising detail.

"This is a cut out from an article about her, only a year ago… A portrait of her from last year… and…" Lelouch glanced around the mantle, and spotted an album. On an impulse, he grabbed the leather bound book and opened it up, and found his hunch true. "Articles about her recent achievements. All signs of a doting father watching from afar."

"Her star has risen far," Matthew agreed. "That's why there's no need for her to spend time looking for a disgraced former noble and hurting her chances of succeeding in the Empire."

"I see," Lelouch murmured. After a moment, he chuckled bemusedly. "No wonder she went by a different name when she introduced herself to me. Finding out who she really was would have been quite a shock at that time."

"You seem less surprised now," Matthew noted slowly.

"Less surprised with the idea that one of the Empire's most famous and celebrated Knightmare pilots was having me lead her to her long lost father, who is a noble stripped of his titles by my own father?" Lelouch said dryly. "I've had a little time to cope."

"Your wit is impeccable, my liege," the older man replied, his tone equally wry.

Their eyes met, and Lelouch and Matthew shared a smile.

"I should go," Lelouch said, after a long moment of unspoken understanding. "I'll give her your regards."

"I thank you for your consideration, your majesty," Matthew murmured, and bowed at the waist. Just for an instant, the regal noble he had once been reasserted itself, and all the years of premature aging seemed to fade away.

"Just one question," Lelouch asked, a quizzical look on his face. "How did you know who I was?"

"Your eyes," Matthew responded solemnly. "Only the child of Marianne the Flash could have those eyes."

"You knew my mother?" Lelouch questioned, and his expression changed dramatically. There was a solemn difference in his eyes, a subtle gleam of sadness.

"I've met her before. You don't forget eyes like that," Matthew asserted.

Lelouch turned away, to hide his face. "I see… I'll be going then."

He was halfway out the door when he heard a whisper.

"Take care of her."

Smiling, Lelouch replied, "I doubt she needs me to look after her, but I'll do my best."

000000

He found her outside the building, staring out rather poignantly at the sunset, all traces of tears faded away, replaced by a stony, blank expression.

"I knew, of course," Kallen said softly, as he moved closer. "I knew that bringing him back was impossible. But… just seeing him… I had to try. I had to make sure."

She glanced over at him, her expression almost pleading. "You understand, don't you?"

Lelouch nodded. "Ah."

There was silence afterward, a long, drawn out one as Kallen returned to her thoughts and Lelouch struggled for something to say.

"Let's get something to eat."

Kallen blinked. Even Lelouch wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, but so far today had been driven by impulse, and why break consistency now.

"You still haven't had seen all London has to offer," Lelouch continued, offering her a hand. "Come on."

Kallen hesitated for a moment, hand shaking, before her eyes became as clear and as strong as they were this morning, and she took his hand.

000000

"What a boring day," Rivalz muttered, yawning lightly as he practically behind the counter of the bar. He was at his part time job, working as a bartender at a pub called Malory's. Technically he was underage, but Malory's was a supporter of the rebellion and was out of the way enough that no one bothered enforcing such rules.

Mac, the owner of Malory's, said nothing, but merely grunted. While not the most talkative boss, Mac paid him fairly and never asked him to do anything Mac wouldn't bother doing himself. That and the fact that Mac was also an agent of the rebellion made him probably the best possible boss Rivalz could find.

"Wish something would happen," he grumbled discontentedly, using his hand to support his chin as he propped his elbow up on the counter.

As if to comply with his idle fancy, the door opened, and two figures walked in, both of whom Rivalz recognized instantly, though one of them he had only seen on the news before (and only then because she had crushed a resistance group in China, or more specifically because her picture on the news was just that attractive enough to be worth remembering). The other, however…

"Eh… Lelouch-san!" Rivalz waved, blinking once in confusion.

"Ah… Rivalz Cardemonde-san, correct?" Lelouch said hesitantly, waving back tentatively as he and his companion moved closer. "I wasn't aware you worked here."

"Ah…" Rivalz scratched the back of his head embarrassedly, "It's kind of an under the table kind of job, if you know what I mean. I know you're the Vice President of the Student Council, but do you think you could overlook this…"

Lelouch smiled back reassuringly. "I'm sure there won't be a problem."

Rivalz returned the smile with a grin, chuckling. "Well thanks for that… now if you don't mind me asking… what is someone like you doing with Kouzuki Kallen!" he finished with a hurried whisper, pulling Lelouch closer so the person in question wouldn't overhear.

Lelouch had the grace to look flustered, though he pulled away to avoid looking suspicious. "It's more like I didn't have a choice," he muttered, half to himself. "This whole day has just been… strange."

"Strange, huh?" Rivalz gave him a considering look, absently picking up a glass and wiping it down with a dry cloth. "Well, I gotta say, you're pretty impressive. You've got that green-haired chick and Shirley on the side, and now you're going after the Empire's idol? You've got balls man."

Rivalz clapped him on the back with a grin. "You're a hell of a guy, Lelouch-san!"

Lelouch felt like doing a facefault- only holding onto the bar and his own pride kept him from doing so.

"Why does everyone keep thinking Shirley-san and I- and C.C. too? What in the… you know what, nevermind," he muttered, with a tone of supreme consternation, "Look, can we just get a table for two? And it's not what you think!"

Rivalz continued to grin, humming under his breath. "Alright, alright Vice-Pres. Table for two, coming up."

"Thank you," Lelouch said politely, though he somehow got the feeling this would come back to haunt him later regardless of Rivalz's words.

"What was that all about?" Kallen questioned, as they were led to their table.

"Nothing," Lelouch muttered distractedly. "Just… don't worry about it. Order something to eat- don't worry about cost, it's on me."

Kallen gave him a noncommittal look, obviously not buying it completely, but she started looking into the menu anyways. They ordered quickly, both of them starving by that point (Fish and chips for her, and a Shepherd's pie for him), and they ate relatively quickly, only occasionally sharing idle conversation.

It was only after they had finished, and were sipping the last of their drinks that Kallen finally spoke about what had occurred before their arrival.

"Do you… do you think I'm stupid?" she asked softly, gazing down at the table. "For wanting to believe I could just wish my family back together?"

"No," Lelouch said quietly, shaking his head. "There's nothing wrong with a wish, or with having the courage to try. What matters is that you followed through with what you believe, and that you don't regret it. You don't, do you?"

Kallen shook her head.

"No… I don't. I had to be sure," Kallen agreed, her eyes moving up to meet his gaze, a firm conviction taking hold in her eyes. "And I'm not going to give up just yet. I'm going to convince Father to come back with me someday. I won't give up, no matter what."

Lelouch blinked, and then suddenly broke out laughing.

Kallen looked offended, shooting him a furious glare. "What's so funny?"

"No… it's not what you said that caused me to laugh…" Lelouch said mirthfully, smiling, "It's just… you sounded so much like a friend of mine. That's how he'd go about doing things too. Always looking towards the right thing, the just thing… he's very strong."

"I was imitating a friend of mine as well, actually," Kallen admitted, her expression softening at his words. "He's the same way. Always doing exactly what he believes is right, regardless of what's standing in his way. I think he's the strongest person I know."

The expression in her eyes was distant and fond, the eyes of someone remembering a childhood full of laughing memories.

"Ah," Lelouch nodded, and his smile took on a secretive nature. "I have to agree with you there. Suzaku is very strong."

Kallen nodded along with him, still lost in her own memories, before realization set in and her head whipped around with a shocked expression.

"What, you didn't think I'd put the pieces together?" Lelouch shrugged mischievously. "Kouzuki Kallen-san, _Shichiken _of the Japanese Empire, the youngest and possibly most famous member of the _Shichitennou, _the seven strongest Knightmare pilots in the Empire?"

She had the grace to blush. "So… you realized it." She paused, as if considering something. "But you never said a word till now. And you never treated me any differently…"

She trailed off, though her meaning was clear. As the _Shichiken_, or Seventh Sword, of the _Shichitennou_, or Seven Heavenly Kings, Kallen was more than just a noble's daughter, she was a high ranking military official outside the bounds of the normal chain of command, answerable only to the Emperor as one of his personal warriors. Not even Suzaku had authority over her.

Someone like that was definitely not supposed to be treated like a normal (if rather overbearing) teenage girl.

"I figured you had to have your reasons for wanting to keep your identity a secret. Though, after everything that just happened, I felt discretion was no longer the better part of valor. Talking about Suzaku was a hook to get you to admit it, I have to confess," Lelouch said lightly, sounding rather satisfied with himself.

"You're as clever as he said you were, Lelouch Lamperouge," Kallen said pointedly, taking a sip from her glass as she waited for his reaction.

She was not disappointed, as Lelouch's eyes grew wide as saucers and he sputtered, "How… you…"

"He talks about you," Kallen continued, as if he hadn't tried to speak. "He respects you a lot, you know."

It was more than that, though Kallen decided against disclosing the rest of it. In fact, when she spoke the way she imagined Suzaku would have gone about the same decision regarding her father, she had remembered a conversation she and Suzaku had a few years ago.

_ "I want to change the empire, Kallen," he confessed fiercely, his emerald eyes blazing. "I know it'll be hard… but I can't just let things go on like they are." _

_ "How can you sound so confident?" she had asked, wondering at his sudden display of personal strength._

_ "I'm imitating a friend of mine, actually," Suzaku admitted humbly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Lelouch is always so confident, ready to do the right thing for everyone without regard for his own concerns." _

_ He glanced up at the sky, a look of supreme admiration on his face. "He's so much stronger than someone like me." _

"I've seen a few pictures of you, so when I saw you on the street… I only asked you to help guide me because I wanted to see what kind of person you are," Kallen admitted. "I wanted to meet the person Suzaku always called his best friend."

Lelouch burst out laughing, shaking his head as he leaned back into his chair, holding his palm over his forehead in a bemused expression. "So I knew who you were, and you knew who I was, and both of us are connected through Suzaku. What an amazing coincidence."

"Very strange," Kallen agreed, chuckling along with him. "I'd say this was fate, almost, that you and I should meet, and become friends like this."

"Fate, huh?" Lelouch murmured. "I don't really believe in something like that. Still, any friend of Suzaku's is a friend of mine, I suppose. And what with your recent engagement to my friend…"

"Y-you know about that too?" Kallen's face flamed bright red, an expression that made Lelouch break out into a new wave of laughter.

"It was rather big news," Lelouch reminded her with a grin. "The Crown Prince being engaged to marry the Empire's youngest Knightmare Ace, scion of a noble house? Very romantic stuff, or so I've been told by the president."

He refrained from mentioning that Suzaku had also called him in the middle of the night, voice frantic with panic about finding out he was now engaged, and to a girl that, Suzaku insisted firmly, was a childhood friend and not someone he could really think about "that way".

His actual words were "It would be like marrying you", but Lelouch figured Kallen would not be happy about hearing that, regardless of her actual feelings on the engagement.

Plus that was a bit of an awkward spot for himself, as Lelouch had not been quite sure how to take that statement.

"It wasn't my decision," Kallen muttered stubbornly, crossing her arms with a huff. Her expression made it clear she had made arguments like this before. "My grandfather asked for the match, and the Emperor agreed. That's all. Suzaku and I are childhood friends, for God's sake!"

Lelouch continued smiling.

Kallen threw a napkin at him. "Oh shut up."

Lelouch dodged it deftly, absently turning his head enough to avoid the cloth projectile.

"Speaking of him, I guess I should point you back in the direction of your beloved fiancée- who I'm guessing has no idea you're even here," he finished, giving her a teasing look. "I thought so."

"Suzaku was right about you in more ways that one," Kallen muttered in response, and Lelouch gave her a curious look. "He also mentioned you were really, really insufferable sometimes."

And to that, Lelouch could only laugh.

Author's Notes

_ Translated Terms_

_Shichitenno (Seven Heavenly Kings)_

_ Shichiken (Seventh Sword)_

I told you guys I'd find a place for Alice. And this is actually a pretty good role I managed to find for her. Most of my problems in this story have been either a) finding a character to play a role or b) finding a role for a character. As of late the former has been more of a problem than the latter, which is why non-canon, but still Geass-universe characters are being brought in.

Kallen and Lelouch's interactions this chapter are a parallel to Suzaku and Euphemia's first meeting. Which, I hope, answers the question a number of reviewers had on whether or not Kallen and Naoto are the equivalent of Euphemia and Cornelia. Only roughly, of course. Each pair of siblings is massively different from their counterpart.

I realized belatedly that Shirley and C.C. have the same sort of relationship Kallen and C.C. had in canon. Which helps with the parallels, I suppose.

Kallen herself was a difficult write, mostly because a lot of her character in canon is based off of a death that didn't happen here, much like with Suzaku. Like with Shirley, I'll have to get used to her character. The scene with her father was changed and reworked and revised endless amounts of times in my head and in my notes before I fixed on how I wanted it to play out, especially in regards to her father's character.

Since we never see him in canon, I went off the base facts- he had an affair with a common woman of an enemy nation pre-war, he seems like he stayed with them for a while, and then even after the war he took in an illegitimate daughter and his former mistress. It's a bit rose-colored, but I'd like to think that shows signs of some kind of caring.

Mac is a transplant from The Dresden Files, partly for a shout-out and partly so I can just have the owner stand around and not say much.

P.S. I have no excuses for Lloyd's choice of songs. I just felt like it.


	6. Chapter 5: Learn To Fly

_"The best way to get people to accept the need for change is to not give them a choice"_

_-_William Wess

Chapter 5

Learn to Fly

Kendo, Suzaku had decided a long time ago, was one of the most therapeutic ways he could relax and burn off energy. Of course, as a young boy he had loved it for the sheer joy of being able to swing a sword (even if it was only wooden), and as he got older the fact that it was a practice steeped in the traditions of his Empire only made it more appealing.

Though that love for the Empire had faded, his passion for the sword remained.

And there was no time that Kendo was more invigorating to him than when facing a skilled opponent- and his opponent here and now was one of the best he had fought, barring Toudou-sensei and a few others.

The familiarity they shared with the other's style of fighting too, helped make this match even more intense than it should have been- they had practiced together for years, and knew how the other would respond and move almost as well as their own.

Which was why they had been staring at each other for well over a minute since the match began, neither of them ready to commit to the first strike just yet.

Of course, Suzaku also knew the temperament of his opponent, and knew she wasn't one to just sit around and wait for a fight to come to her.

As if on cue, his opponent sprang forward with a powerful, two handed downward stroke, moving with swiftness that belied her slight frame and the weight of the armor she wore, yelling out her intended target, as per the traditions of Kendo.

"_Men!"_

Suzaku sidestepped the wooden sword handily, even with the bulk of the Kendo armor on his limbs, watching the wide downward slash slide past him easily, and responding with his own furious shout, _"Kote!"_

As announced by his intentions, his shinai flew down hard, but his opponent's reactions were superb and he only managed a glancing hit, not enough to count as a point. Carried by both their motions, they moved past each other, backs to each other for a moment before they spun around to continue the fight.

Simultaneously, they both cried out "_Do!"_, aiming for the other's chestplate. Their attacks collided and were deflected off of each other, and once more they moved past each other, returning to their original positions.

They both backed off from each other, eyeing the other warily as they moved just outside of striking range, the first two exchanges being enough to tell that direct charges were ineffective. Though he had been the one to strike the first blow, Suzaku knew it counted for little here.

They circled around each other, footsteps feather light against the wooden floor of the dojo, waiting for the other to make the first move, or more precisely, the first mistake.

Deciding to chance a feint, Suzaku dipped his sword a fraction, weakening his guard by giving the appearance of growing lax.

As expected, his opponent's more impetuous, hot-headed nature took hold, and she took the bait, driving forward, this time aiming for a minor, but likely easier point, her sword going for his wrist guard.

In a flash, Suzaku moved into the attack to allow it to miss by bare inches, coming forward with a powerful cry of "_Tsuki!"_

To his surprise and utter dismay, however, his opponent pulled just far back enough to avoid the thrust, which left him utterly vulnerable to counterattack. With a fluid motion, she moved her wrist and came out with a powerful sweep and a cry of "_Do!"_

Suzaku winced as the shinai impacted with ferocious force, against his chest plate, and felt his opponent brush past him in a ready stance. Perfect execution and form- a full point this time.

Turning, Suzaku bowed deeply, a gesture returned by his opponent. The solemn nature of the moment was broken a moment later as his opponent took off her mask and flashed him a victorious grin.

"That's a point for me," Kallen said cheerily, absently wiping a bead of sweet from her brow.

"You've gotten better," Suzaku complimented, smiling back. "Toudou-sensei's been giving you lessons?"

"Only sometimes," Kallen asserted stubbornly, her cheeks, already flushed with exertion, coloring a little darker with embarrassment. "You've gotten better too though."

"All I usually do is practice every morning alone for an hour or so," Suzaku shrugged, scratching the back of his neck, "It's been a while since I had a good sparring partner."

"First time you've seen each other in three years and you two decide to have a sword duel," came a sudden, familiar voice, sounding bemused.

Both Suzaku and Kallen turned to face the newcomer.

"You are the weirdest fiancés ever," Naoto finished, chuckling.

"Onii-chan!" Kallen exclaimed embarrassedly, flushing as always at the mention of the engagement, dropping her sword in surprise.

"Naoto-san!" Suzaku said with a tone of pleasant surprise, extending a gloved hand out in greeting. Though it was a gesture atypical of Japanese nobility, Naoto moved without hesitation and took the hand, shaking it firmly.

"Suzaku-sama," Naoto said, bowing his head politely. "It's good to see you again."

"Oh come on, please none of that formal stuff," Suzaku muttered, sounding vaguely annoyed. "You and I have known each other for years."

"Protocol is protocol," Naoto replied cordially. "And we're not in your country estate in Kyoto."

"You've gotten a lot less fun since you joined the military," Suzaku said glibly, but he smiled in understanding. "You know when they told me they were sending a new military commander over, I didn't expect you and the 75th, much less Kallen."

"The old men over in Kyoto probably thought this assignment was a good 'test' for my mixed unit," Naoto responded, crossing his arms with an unreadable expression.

"Your unit is Brittanian and Japanese, right?" Suzaku questioned, sounding hesitant.

"Yeah," Naoto nodded. "Posting us in their homeland is probably a way for the Empire to evaluate our 'worth'."

"But our military record," Kallen began to point out slowly, but her brother shook his head.

"We can win countless victories against the Equatorial League and the Eurasian Federation, but until the Empire knows for sure we can even fight against Brittanian insurgents… they won't trust us completely," Naoto interrupted, sounding tired. "Integrating colonies into the Empire is a process that takes time."

"We shouldn't have to," Suzaku muttered darkly, drawing looks from both siblings. Noticing this, he quickly added, "But the work you two have been doing… earning prestige for the Brittanians… its good work. I just don't know if it'll change anything."

"We have no choice but to try," Naoto replied, shrugging helplessly. "Changing the system of the Empire will be slow, but it's the only way."

_Not necessarily_, Suzaku thought to himself, thinking of the golden _Caliburn_ that laid so close underground. _Destroying this system would be faster._

But such thoughts were practically treasonous, and though he might have trusted Kallen enough with it and Naoto was someone dear to his heart, they were still members of the Japanese military, and telling both of them right now just simply didn't seem like a good idea.

"Anyways,:" Naoto continued, breaking the moment of silence, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we should have a formal meeting about the state of things in this country. There's a lot of stuff we need to talk about, and the faster we start, the better."

"Of course," Suzaku said softly, nodding back.

000000

"So, Suzaku-sama has a fiancée?" Euphemia asked curiously, glancing over at Milly. The two of them were cleaning one of the formerly unused guest wings of the mansion, now occupied by the Kouzuki siblings.

"Oh yes," Milly answered, a tone of pity in her voice that confused the pink-haired ex-princess, "They've only been engaged for a little while, but they've known each other since they were children."

"Children, huh?" Euphemia murmured to herself. She had also known Suzaku since they were children, according to him. It made her suddenly long to remember those days, if only to have some more memories of Suzaku.

The thought felt strangely embarrassing to her, and she quickly busied herself with folding the last of the towels.

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Milly said cheerily, clapping her on the shoulder so suddenly that Euphemia nearly jumped out of her skin. "Suzaku won't forget you!

"F-forget me?" Euphemia blinked.

"Just because he's got a fiancée doesn't mean he's out of your reach!" Milly added cheekily, squeezing her on the shoulder. "Every man needs a mistress!"

"M-mistress!" Euphemia squeaked, dropping the towel.

"Who's a mistress?"

This time, Milly too seemed spooked as both of them turned to see the confused face of Kouzuki Kallen.

"Kallen-sama!" Milly said, looking vaguely embarrassed, the closest to shame she ever seemed to show. "You startled us."

"Milly-san, right?" Kallen said slowly, waiting for confirmation. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm flattered you've heard of me," Milly said graciously, bowing as deeply as she could.

"You really don't need to clean up after me," Kallen added gently. "I'd really rather take care of those things myself."

"Oh no, please, it's our pleasure," Milly responded politely. "Taking care of Suzaku-sama's guests is an honor."

"I suppose taking care of him makes taking care of anyone else rather easy," Kallen joked, chuckling.

Milly smiled. "You would know best, Kallen-sama." With a glance over at Euphemia, she added, "Euphie-chan, introduce yourself."

Euphemia, who had thus far been studying Kallen's features silently, was startled out of her observations, and said hurriedly, "Euphemia", with a clumsy bow. After a moment, she added, "K-Kallen-sama."

"Sorry, she's new," Milly said apologetically, smiling. "Still learning her manners."

"It's quite alright," Kallen replied, and gave Euphemia a wide, friendly smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Euphemia."

"Nice to meet you too," Euphemia echoed quietly.

000000

"So where'd you run off to yesterday," C.C. asked softly, hands folded to support her chin, elbows propped up on her desk, eyes on the teacher at the front of the class.

"I told you yesterday, I just got lost," Lelouch responded vaguely, refusing to meet her gaze by burying his gaze into the textbook.

"Sure, got lost in the city of your birth, doing routine shopping that should have only taken a couple of hours. And you didn't even finish the shopping, earning you a 'punishment game' to be decided on the president's return," C.C. said tartly, raising her eyebrow, without moving her gaze over to him. "Riiiggghhhttt…."

"Look, just drop it," Lelouch muttered, rolling his eyes.

"She was looking for you too," C.C added airily.

Lelouch bit his lip irritably, not wanting to rise to the bait. "Who?"

"Your diligent student," C.C. said tonelessly, her lip curling in an unreadable smirk.

"She already called me. I know." Lelouch continued to stubbornly avoid her gaze, not wanting, for whatever reason, to have to speak more on the subject. "In fact, on that note, how did she even get my number?"

"I was surprised she didn't have it already, what with you two being so close and all," she replied whimsically, though there was an edge to her voice.

"Why do you even care?" Lelouch muttered, finally looking over at her. "What's it to you?"

"Lelouch-kun? Is there something urgent you need to talk to C.C.-kun about?" asked the teacher, peering over at him through glare-filled lenses.

"Nothing, sensei," Lelouch said promptly, keeping his features schooled straight.

"Good. Then, if you wouldn't mind reading the next passage…"

Lelouch briefly recalled what they were discussing, narrowed down how far their class reading had likely progressed since the start, and then made a best guess on what he was supposed to read.

The passage he located, however, gave him pause, and a wry, incredulous smile crossed his face for a brief moment.

"The _Shichitenno_, translated as 'The Seven Heavenly Kings', were formed during the closing months of the Meiji Revolution. During this time, the Tokugawa Shogunate was sending more and more of its soldiers after the Emperor, in an attempt to regain control over the rebellious clans by removing the symbolic head of their movement. The first _Shichitenno_ were elected as seven skilled swordsmen who forsook all bonds to the clans of their birth to swear undying, everlasting loyalty to the Emperor as his personal bodyguard, bound till death to protect his divine majesty. They are ranked as '_Ichiken_', '_Niken_', and so on and so forth."

The teacher, obviously annoyed that he had failed to catch Lelouch off guard yet again, coughed and nodded, trying to hide his displeasure. "Yes. Very good, Lelouch-kun. Can anyone tell me who some of the current members of the _Shichitenno_ are today?"

"Asahina Shogo-sama," came one of the girls, who giggled.

"Toudou Kyoshiro-sama," came one bespectacled male's voice.

"Kouzuki Kallen-san," Lelouch found himself saying, before he could stop himself.

"Good, good, very good. Kouzuki Kallen-san is especially one you all should note- she's your age, but she's already risen to the position of _Nanaken_ amongst the _Shichitenno. _She's a remarkable young woman."

"She's my idol!" a female voice asserted.

"She's so cool!" a girl giggled.

"Hot too," one of the boys called loudly, earning scathing looks from the girls and a hearty amount of nods from the boys (who in turn earned their own scathing looks).

"That's quite enough," the teacher said firmly, shooting the outspoken boy a harsh look. "Since you seem so eager, Saru-kun, you read next."

"Aw, sensei…"

"Now, Saru-kun."

Lelouch shook his head, briefly wondering what Kallen would have thought of being the subject of so much idol worship. And, more amusingly, what the people would think if they knew just how strange she really was.

_I wonder what she's doing now_, he thought to himself absently.

000000

"Following the incident in the London Underground, there's been over a dozen incidents of insurgency, rioting, and terrorism occurring throughout the territory of Brittania proper," Sancia reported quietly, reading from a printed sheet of paper. She sat to Naoto's right at the conference table, as befitting her rank as the XO of the 75th. "No additional sightings of the golden Knightmare Frame, codenamed '_Kinma_', that was observed fighting for the rebels in the Underground have been reported."

"Where did this thing even come from?" Kallen asked, sitting across the table, to Suzaku's direct left.

"Likely from whatever illegal shipment Kusakabe was bringing into the country," Naoto muttered, casting a dark look at Major Minami, who was now in charge of the remnants of Kusakabe's regiment.

"The Colonel informed none of us as to the reason why we were being mobilized, nor that he had done so without the official consent of Prince Suzaku," Minami said stiffly. "I said as much in my official report."

"You're telling me not one of you had any idea what the Colonel was doing? We have a number of financial statements to indicate Kusakabe was diverting military funding into his own private projects under several dummy corporations and accounts, and you, his Executive Officer, knew none of it?" Naoto's tone was critically skeptical, and exceptionally harsh.

"The Colonel kept his own counsel. And anyone who might have known was in his command squad- the squad that was murdered by _Kinma_, if you recall, sir," Minami said bitingly, adding the honorific almost as an afterthought.

"Why you-" Naoto began angrily.

"Stop it, both of you!" Kallen interrupted pleadingly, shooting her brother an irritated look. "This isn't helping anyone. Suzaku, what do you think?"

Suzaku, who had remained silent throughout the whole discussion thus far, seemed startled. "I… uh…"

"That brings us to another question that has yet to be addressed," Sancia said quietly, meeting his uncertain gaze. "With all due respect, Prince, where were you during this incident?"

Naoto gave him an apologetic look, while Minami also gazed over at him with a questioning look.

"I was taking a leave of absence," Suzaku said stiffly, praying his lie would not come through his eyes. "I was unavoidably detained, and by the time I was able to return the crisis was over."

"My prince… without meaning to sound rude… that day you never reported in to the command center," Minami said softly.

Suzaku felt trapped. How the hell was he supposed to explain why he, the nominal highest ranking official in Brittania, wasn't at his post at such a critical minute? And without revealing that, in fact, it was he who had killed Kusakabe and a large portion of the military forces that day?

"I don't think you have the right to criticize Suzaku, Major, or you, Lieutenant," Kallen cut in suddenly, practically leaping to his defense. "His being there would not have helped the situation any, would it? The fact remains that the Colonel is dead, and with him our best chance of finding out what happened that day."

Suzaku shot her a grateful look, which she acknowledged, but continued on speaking regardless. "What we need to do now is figure out what to do from here."

"My sister is, of course, right," Naoto agreed, looking grateful for his sister's intercession- whereas she was outside of the chain of command, Naoto had to remain impartial and keep control over both his own regiment and the remnants of Kusakabe's forces- showing any kind of consideration towards Suzaku would have been detrimental to that cause. "We have a lot more problems right now. Casting blame and suspicion can wait."

"Apologies, Suzaku-sama," Minami murmured, a sentiment echoed by Sancia as well.

"Well, aside from the insurgents, there are a few other issues to talk about," Naoto asserted, opening his own folder of papers up. "The lost Eurasian Federation tanker _Kaiser Krieg_, for one."

"The one they're accusing us of seizing… right?" Suzaku said, sounding doubtful about his own information. "What does that have to do with us?"

"The homeland has ordered a tightening of all border patrols, especially in the English Channel," Naoto answered. "Apart from my own regiment, we've also been assigned a battlegroup from the Navy to help fortify our position."

"Do they believe it'll come to an invasion?" Minami asked, eyes wide at the very thought of an all out war between the Empire and the Federation. Everyone knew the conflict was coming- the only real question was how much longer the false peace could last.

"As of yet it's just the Eurasian Senate that's making accusations. Our intelligence states that Einherjar hasn't mobilized any forces to the front yet," Sancia replied, her tone neutral. "Talks will begin shortly, we've been told. This is just a precaution."

"However, you never know with Einherjar," Naoto muttered darkly. "Just because they haven't received any orders doesn't mean they aren't going to act."

"What do you mean by that?" Suzaku questioned, being unfamiliar with the organization. "Einherjar… that's the Eurasian Federation's military, right? How could they do anything without the consent of the Senate?"

"Not exactly," Naoto corrected, shaking his head. "They're a private military company, nominally, albeit one that is permanently contracted and attached to the Eurasian Federation as their standing military, and have been since the Unification War dissolved the national militaries of the individual nation-states. The main point is that while they technically take orders from the Senate, the leaders of the organization actually possess more power than the Senate, and control a great deal of the government."

"You sound very familiar with Einherjar," Minami noted quietly.

"I've fought them before," Naoto alluded, that dark tone returning to his voice that spoke of memories he was trying to keep forgotten. "I try to learn as much as possible about my enemies."

"Well they're not our enemies yet," Suzaku insisted, folding his hands. "I know Kyoto probably gave you specific orders, Naoto, but I'd like to stress that I want all our naval actions to be strictly defensive- under no circumstances are they to fire unless fired upon first."

"Understood, sir," Naoto nodded. "At any rate, that incident should be one of our lesser concerns. There are still a number of other problems out there that are far more pressing. The Brittanian Liberation Front for one thing, and our mysterious golden Knightmare Frame, and whatever Kusakabe was smuggling into the country aren't exactly small fires in our forest."

"What about this… 'Reaper'?" Kallen interrupted slowly, drawing looks from around the table. "Do any of you know about it?"

"Reaper… it's a drug that's been hampering a lot of productivity, according to Secretary Tamaki," Minami said, after a moment of struggling to remember the information. "A few of our own soldiers have had incidents of using the drug as well."

"I haven't read any reports on it," Naoto blinked, glancing over at his sister in confusion. "Are you sure it's a real problem, Kallen?"

"I'm sure," Kallen said firmly, meeting her brother's gaze determinedly. "The streets are flooded with this stuff, from what I've heard, and people are suffering. We have to do something about that."

"With all due respect, Kallen-san… 'Reaper' is just a drug. If we crack down on it, it'll just get replaced by one of those other drugs. Stamping out something like that is hardly a priority at the moment," Minami interjected politely. "And mounting a full scale attack on the drug runners would only be diverting valuable resources that we need to fight off insurgents."

"If the people are happy and content, they wouldn't become insurgents," Kallen shot back fiercely. "If we can help alleviate their suffering, even for a little while… that could be worth it."

"We'll look into it," Naoto promised, giving his sister a reassuring look. "I'll have Sancia do a proper investigation right away. If there's nothing else we need to discuss, I suggest we get to we get to work immediately, people."

As they stood- Suzaku first, with the others bowing to him, as per his station, followed by Kallen, and then Naoto- and left, Kallen caught Suzaku just outside the doors with a mischievous grin and pulled him off.

"You and I still haven't had a decent talk," Kallen reminded him, smiling.

"So we haven't," Suzaku agreed. "Come on, I know a place."

As the two wandered off, chattering more like the teenagers they were than the titles and responsibilities people always tended to see them as, Naoto shook his head and smiled.

"Ah, to be young again," he muttered.

"Commander?" Sancia blinked.

Naoto shrugged, flashing her a smile.

"Come on Lieutenant. We've got a war to prepare for."

000000

"So that was Kouzuki Naoto, huh?" Kento muttered, as they exited the meeting room through a separate set of doors. "He's about our age, but he's already got the commander of a whole regiment. Nobles really do get special treatment."

"I don't know about that," Minami countered quietly, straightening his glasses. "I've read his service record. He's done a lot of work with special forces before being promoted to Commander, and he's earned more medals than a lot of older officers I know of. Being a noble helps, for sure, but he seems like he knows what he's doing."

"I hope so," Kento said, scratching the back of his head. "Most of our guys were decimated by the battle in the Underground, thanks to that damn golden Knightmare. We need a good commander to help get this country back under control."

"A good commander…" Minami murmured, trailing off distractedly.

Kento flicked a glance over at him. "You're thinking about that voice again, aren't you? The one we let have command of the battle." After Minami nodded back, he continued, "Why didn't you add that in the official report?"

"Because it would have gotten us both demoted or even discharged, Kento," Minami explained patiently, crossing his arms. "Success or not, we put a lot of military assets in the hands of a complete unknown."

"Who do you think that guy was, anyways? Some kind of retired general? Maybe one of our own guys who didn't want to show us up?"

Minami gave a noncommittal shrug. "I doubt it was one of our own. Neither of us is well connected enough to overrule someone and take the credit for that miracle, and so whoever did it could have easily come to light and told the truth. Since they didn't, I have to assume he didn't want his identity known for whatever reason."

"A civilian, then?" Kento said disbelievingly. "He'd have to be…"

"A prodigy," Minami agreed, nodding his head. "A born strategist."

"We could use him now, I gotta say," Kento muttered, shaking his head. "Whole country's off its rocker. If the Brittanian Liberation Front hits us hard, I don't know if we can really fight back."

"Let's hope you're wrong," Minami interjected, though inwardly, he was already preparing for the worst.

000000

"Man, that class felt like it took forever," Rivalz yawned, stretching his arms out and rolling his shoulders tiredly.

Shirley hummed in agreement as they stepped out of the classroom, absently flipping through the textbook for the next class.

"Well well, it's Lelouch-san!"

Shirley froze mid page, and resisted the urge to look up- she could feel Rivalz's eyes on her, waiting for her to take the bait. _He's lying, he's lying, he's lying_, she chanted in her head.

When she didn't, he continued to speak as if she had taken the bait regardless. "You know, it's funny, I didn't really take that guy for a player type, but man, you should have seen that girl he was with yesterday! Kouzuki Kallen-san, man, that guy Lelouch really aims high! I mean, you're pretty cute, Shirley, but Kallen is just…"

He trailed off, suddenly noticing the murderous aura that emanated from Shirley like a poisonous miasma. Before he could react, however, Shirley delivered a solid punch to his jaw with a sniff of "Men!"

"I see you're as spirited as ever, Shirley-san."

Shirley yelped and spun around, coming face to face with the bemused face of Lelouch Lamperouge.

_I guess he wasn't lying._

"I apologize for missing our session yesterday," Lelouch said slowly, with a trace of mirth in his voice. "You sounded upset when I spoke to you on the phone, so I thought I'd make amends in person."

"No, its fine," Shirley said quickly, crossing her arms and looking away. "I'd hate to make you miss your date."

"Date?" Lelouch blinked.

"You know, with that girl you were with yesterday…" Shirley paused, remembering Rivalz's exact words. "Wait, what did he say about Kouzuki-"

Lelouch's eyes widened, and before she could finish, he clapped his hand over her mouth and pulled her aside, over to the corner stairwell, out of view of the milling students.

"Shh! Not so loud!" Lelouch said hurriedly, putting a finger in his lips.

"Wait, so he was telling the truth?" Shirley's eyes widened.

"Look, I just happened to run into her yesterday, and got roped into being her guide for the day. That's all." Lelouch shrugged, giving her a nonplussed look. "But she asked me to keep it quiet, as they haven't made any official announcements about her being in the country yet."

"So you just happened to run into the Empire's most famous teenage girl?" Shirley said disbelievingly, raising her eyebrow. "Who just happened to decide you of all people would do as a tour guide around sunny little London?"

"Okay, when you say it like that, it sounds crazy. But it's the truth," Lelouch asserted firmly, giving her a look. "Please pass this on to Cardemonde-san too. The official announcement will come in a day or two, but for now…"

"I got it, I got it, I won't tell anyone," Shirley promised blandly, though behind her back she had her fingers crossed.

"Thank you," Lelouch said, flashing her a smile that left her feeling uncomfortable about knowing how quickly she would be breaking her word. "Well, seeing as how we're already here, how about we head over to the Student Council Room to resume our sessions?"

"Uh… I'll meet you there. I need to do some things," Shirley said evasively, and without waiting for a reply, she dashed off.

Once she got outside, to a secluded garden well away from the milling students who were heading home, and made sure she hadn't been followed, she took out her cellphone and punched in Gino's number.

"Mary had a little lamb," she muttered impatiently, after the ringing clicked off.

"Whose fleece was white as snow," sing-songed Gino cheerfully. "What's up Red?"

"Kouzuki Kallen is in town, that's what's up," Shirley hissed quietly. "You know, one of the Emperor's personal warriors?"

Gino blew out a long, slow breath, and swore. "Damn. Guess we shook 'em up harder than I thought. How'd you find that out?"

"That guy, Lelouch. He met up with her yesterday, apparently," Shirley explained quickly.

"Oh, so that's why he blew you off?"

_I am going to kill Rivalz._

"He did not- look, that's not the point. What's important is, Rivalz corroborated with the information, and ID-ed her himself yesterday. Probably forgot to phone it in, the idiot," Shirley added, shaking her head.

"Well now, I guess those tutoring sessions are doing more than helping you with your math," Gino muttered, sounding bemused. "After that little tidbit, I'd say you should keep up your relationship with this Lelouch guy. See if you can get anything else out of him, and find out how he knows Kouzuki Kallen."

"On it boss," Shirley responded smartly.

"I'll bet. You know, if you just softened up a bit, I bet you'd have this Lelouch guy eating out of the palm of your-"

Click.

000000

"-hand. Huh, she hung up on me," Gino blinked, shaking his head as he put the phone down on his desk. With a bemused look, he glanced over at Kewell.

"That's an interesting piece of intelligence Fenette has obtained," Kewell murmured, sounding impressed. "I guess the retaliation of the Empire is going to start with her."

"I'm more worried about whatever additional reinforcements she's brought with her," Gino muttered. "One Knightmare pilot isn't too much of a big deal."

"Sir, if I may object…" Kewell paused, as if hesitating. "I've seen reports about this Kouzuki Kallen. She was the one single-handedly responsible for the fall of a Mediterranean Pact fortress in Gibraltar, and the one who destroyed a whole company of Einherjar's Knightmare Frames at a border skirmish in Pakistan. She's not just some ace Knightmare Frame pilot- there's something different about her."

"You sound worried, Kewell," Gino noted, a tone of concern in his own voice now. "This chick really scares you, huh?"

"I just don't want to underestimate the kind of force we're up against," Kewell muttered, sighing deeply. "People say this Kouzuki Kallen is a genius Knightmare Frame pilot, the likes of which haven't been seen since the late Marianne the Flash. Only the First and Second Swords of the _Shichitennou_ are reputed to be more skilled, and that might only be due to inexperience."

"Alright, alright, you made your point. I won't mistake her for a pretty face," Gino said agreeably, waving his hand in dismissal. "I'll get a message to the higher ups, let 'em know we've got this genius in our midst. You go and have some fun somewhere else."

"Sir?" Kewell blinked.

"If you're right about how much of a threat this Kouzuki Kallen is, you'd better get some rest. Chances are, we won't get much in the next few weeks," Gino said. Noticing Kewell about to protest again, he spoke again, overriding his subordinate. "That's an order, Kewell. You've been pulling double-duty for me since Lenard died, not to mention arranging for the repairs and resupply of our men. You need to get some rest. I can handle some of the boring stuff for a few days without you."

Kewell gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, my lord."

"Yeah, yeah, now go on, get!" Gino waved him off, chuckling to himself as Kewell departed. "And he's the older one."

Reclining into his chair, Gino crossed his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling contemplatively. "A genius Knightmare Frame pilot, huh?" his lips twisted into a wry grin. "Wonder where we can get one of those."

Unconsciously, he thought back to the golden Knightmare Frame, and of course, it's mysterious, but undoubtedly skilled pilot.

If they could somehow get in contact with him… but no, no one had heard anything about a golden Knightmare Frame since that battle.

_ What is that guy waiting for_, Gino thought to himself.

From the brief encounter they had, Gino had the strong sense that the pilot was someone who was very firm in his or her convictions, someone who wouldn't tolerate something he or she determined was 'evil'. Someone like that, well… staying quiet, especially with the kind of power they possessed… it was impossible.

000000

"This is your 'place'?" Kallen said, blinking.

The two of them were standing in the same local park that Suzaku liked to meet up with Lelouch at, just off to the side of the main path, with both of them wearing hats and sunglasses to conceal their identities. It was the late afternoon, and the number of people in the park had swelled up to a comfortable number of pairs of young couples out for a date or laughing children being looked after by their parents.

"Hey, don't knock it," Suzaku said defensively. "I like this place."

"I guess you would," Kallen agreed reluctantly, shaking her head. "You always did like scrabbling around in the grass."

"So did you," Suzaku reminded her.

"True," Kallen said, refusing to give ground. "I never said it was a bad idea. Rather, I guess you could say it fits you. It means you haven't changed a bit, Suzaku."

Suzaku had nothing to say to that, and they drifted off into companionable silence as Kallen gestured over to a nearby bench for them to sit, both of them just watching the rest of the park inhabitants pass on by as they sat upon the sun-warmed wood.

"Can you believe it's been over ten years since we first met in Kyoto?" Kallen said slowly, glancing up at the sky, which remained the same blue as it had when she was a child. "It seems like so long ago now."

"I remember you pushing me into the mud a few minutes after we met," Suzaku jibed, grinning.

"Only because you said I couldn't play samurai with you," she shot back. "You told me to go play with my dolls."

"And you responded by decking me and introducing my face to the dirt," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"I was seven! And you were being chauvinistic," she added as an afterthought. "I made you admit girls could play in the mud with boys at the end, though."

"By pinning me and refusing to let go till I did," Suzaku grumbled, absently rubbing his arm as if recalling the memories made the pain return. "And when Toudou-sensei came out and saw us, he scolded _me_ for getting myself pinned so easily!"

"Toudou-sensei is a wise, wise man," Kallen said in a faux mysterious voice, causing Suzaku to roll his eyes again.

"And a harsher teacher than anyone I've ever met," Suzaku chimed in. "I swear my bones still ache from every Kendo lesson he drilled into my skull. How is he, anyway?"

"Toudou-sensei? He's fine. Still trains all the time. And Chiba-san still has a crush on him and hasn't told him!" Kallen added, giggling.

"I still don't buy that. I just don't see it," Suzaku said disbelievingly, shaking his head.

"You're a boy. You're blind to that kind of thing," Kallen said condescendingly, patting him on the shoulder.

"I guess I am," Suzaku agreed reluctantly, knowing good and well he was no expert on girls, not like Lelouch anyways. And speaking of his male best friend…

"By the way, I can't believe you met up with Lelouch yesterday," Suzaku muttered, shaking his head in wonderment. "You just happened to spot him on the street and recognized him from a picture I showed you?"

"He was getting mugged," Kallen answered, nodding along. "He was all ready to just lay down and let that drug addict walk all over him, rather than fight back."

"That's Lelouch," Suzaku agreed, sighing. "He always prefers 'diplomatic' solutions. He's never one to challenge the system when he can adapt to it and work from the inside."

"I thought he was crazy at first. But he really believes that outright brute force won't solve anything," Kallen murmured, remembering their encounter with the Brittanian boy and the shopkeeper. Lelouch had kept her from attacking that shopkeeper, recognizing that the short term value of standing up for the boy would ultimately only make things worse for him.

"Sometimes there's just no other way," Suzaku said to himself, before continuing in a louder tone, "Well, I'm glad you two got along. You two are my best friends- I'd hate for you two not to be able to like each other."

As he finished speaking, his thoughts were distracted as a shout erupted just at the edges of his hearing, causing both of them to turn around, spotting a crowd forming at the far end of the park.

Glancing over at Kallen, he found her already moving forward, and his own feet followed after, moving swiftly toward the commotion.

They arrived at the edges of the crowd, keeping well to the back to avoid being spotted and potentially recognized.

There, at the center, was the source of the commotion- a ragged, unshaven Brittanian man in tattered, filthy clothes was being kicked by a furious looking Japanese man, who was clutching a woman, obviously his wife, close to him. The woman looked terrified, and was sobbing into his chest, with a narrow cut on her cheek that drew blood and her blouse sleeve in tatters, looking as though someone had ripped it with brute force.

"What the hell is going on here?" Suzaku said loudly. The three people in the center of the crowd paid him no mind, but another man turned over to him and Kallen and answered.

"That filthy drug addict tried to rob that woman while her husband was buying them a drink. Reaper addicts are scum. They just can't move on with their lives- just make everything harder on the rest of us who are trying to live," the bespectacled man, another Brittanian, spat. "He deserves this."

"Please stop!"

A little girl, probably barely older than ten years old, had hurled herself between the angry husband and the Brittanian.

"My daddy's been bad, I know! But please, leave him alone now! Let me take him home!" she pleaded, sobbing over her father's beaten body.

"Move girl! Your father is beyond help!" a woman in the crowd shouted, and moved forward, trying to pull the girl back. "All you'll do is get yourself in trouble too!"

However, she fought ferociously, holding fiercely onto her father's prone form and refusing to let go. "Let me take him home!" she begged again.

"My wife is bleeding!" the husband roared back. "My wife! I can't let that slide, girl!"

"This isn't right," Kallen whispered to him softly. "He hurt that woman, but… this just isn't right."

Suzaku knew she was right. Without a word to her, he stepped forward, right into the center of the crowd, and cast off his sunglasses and baseball cap that kept his features obscured.

"In the name of the Empire and the Chrysanthemum Throne, stop!" he shouted loudly, drawing all eyes to him. "By the authority of my father , the Emperor, and in my own name, Kururugi Suzaku, and I am hereby taking this man into my custody! Any attempts to injure or harass him from here on in will be judged as an attack on my person and will be dealt with accordingly."

The cold, distantly authoritative tone of his voice disgusted Suzaku- to hide behind the name of his father and the throne he sat upon felt like the worst form of hypocrisy. But it was power, and no justice could live without power.

Silence fell in the aftermath of his declaration, followed by whispered murmurings of awe amongst the crowd, who pointed with wide eyes at him, shuffling now almost embarrassedly.

"My prince!" the husband shouted, moving towards him, though his wife was attempting to pull him away. "Please, you must judge this man! Deliver unto him the justice of heaven!"

"I…" Suzaku paused, trying to find the right words to say.

"My wife is pregnant, your grace," he pleaded, bowing his head. "I cannot forgive this man for attacking her… not even for the tears of a child. I beg you, give him justice."

Suzaku couldn't move, and whatever he was thinking of saying had been blown away by the man's pleas. Unconsciously, he looked back towards the father and daughter.

"Please let my daddy go," asked the girl, looking up at him with a heartbreaking sob.

Justice, or mercy.

One denied the existence of the other, and the life of a man was held in his hands. The sheer weight of the choice made Suzaku feel as though he were choking on air.

He was saved from making a decision, or perhaps damned for it, by the arrival of a couple of policemen who pushed their way through the crowd, led, surprisingly, by Kallen. They seemed momentary taken aback by Suzaku's appearance in the crowd, but quickly hustled the two parties away from each other, hauling the beaten man to his feet and slapping a pair of handcuffs onto his hands, despite the pleading of his daughter, whom Kallen led away with quiet murmurings of comfort.

All the while, Suzaku stood and stared, and wondered why he felt so utterly powerless.

000000

"A dice has six sides, okay? And each side has a probably of-"

"One-sixth, I remember," Shirley said impatiently, but Lelouch merely smiled.

"Yes, and therefore the expected value of the dice roll is…" he trailed off, waiting for her to finish writing down her calculations.

"Three point five," Shirley said triumphantly, and her victorious grin was met with a proud smile from Lelouch.

"Very good. You learn quickly, Shirley-san," Lelouch complimented, nodding his head in appreciation. "Now let's move on to something harder…"

Shirley groaned, and let her head hit the table dramatically. "We've been working non-stop so far. I need a break."

"Indeed. Straining your mind so much is starting to affect your features," C.C. chipped in with a cattish smile from behind the veil of a magazine.

"Oi, why don't you go shove it up your-"

"Fair enough," Lelouch cut in before Shirley could finish, giving C.C. a warning look. "Would you like some tea, Shirley-san?"

"Um… sure," Shirley said slowly. "Where are you going to get it though?"

"We have a tea maker," Lelouch assured her, gesturing to a small machine atop a counter. "I usually make some while I do work for the Student Council. C.C. doesn't care much for it, but the president enjoys a good cup."

"Tea doesn't go well with pizza," C.C. defended, absently turning the page of her tabloid.

Shirley blinked, but Lelouch merely sighed as though he'd heard this argument before, absently pulling two cups out of the wooden cupboard above the counter, setting them down as he poured out the tea.

"Its black tea, I hope you don't mind," Lelouch said pleasantly, offering her a cup after he was finished.

"That's fine," Shirley said neutrally.

"Well, since you two seem content with tea time, I'm going to excuse myself," C.C. said, standing up slowly, setting down her magazine carelessly on the table.

"Where are you off to?" Lelouch asked, sounding vaguely suspicious as to her motives in leaving.

"Why Lelouch, don't you know not to pry into a woman's business?" C.C. said coyly, raising her eyebrow. "It's embarrassing to a young flower like myself."

_Young flower my ass_, Lelouch thought.

"If you must know…" C.C. added slowly, "I'm going home. I'm tired, and it seems like you two are busy."

"Wait, just what are you implying-" Lelouch began, but C.C. had already walked out the door, waving absently. "God, I do not understand that woman."

"Don't you two live together?" Shirley asked curiously, over the rim of her teacup. "

"Doesn't mean I know how she thinks," Lelouch muttered, planting himself back down in the chair across from Shirley and taking a long, slow drink of his tea, looking annoyed.

Shirley decided to take a chance, hoping to steer the conversation towards the matter of Kouzuki Kallen. "So you're not going out with her, then, like all the rumors said?"

Lelouch snorted.

"God, no. Half the time she acts like she's my mother, the rest of the time like a domineering older sister," he rebuffed incredulously. "I don't know how those ridiculous rumors keep cropping up."

"Is that so?" Shirley hummed, and prepared her next words carefully, praying her tone sounded as disinterested as possible. "Then are you with Kouzuki Kallen, then?"

If this was a sitcom, Lelouch would have spit out his tea, spraying it all over the table like a busted water fountain. As it was, he merely choked, coughing violently until the tea passed through his system and he glanced up at her with watery eyes.

"Don't you watch the news? She's engaged to Suz- to prince Suzaku," Lelouch said, hastily amending his mistake of using Suzaku's given name so familiarly. "I told you-"

"I remember, I remember," Shirley said, waving her hand dismissively. "But it just sounds weird to me that someone so famous would just happen to make you her unofficial guide to the country."

She smiled coyly, giving him a searching look. "Maybe there's something more to you than meets the eye?"

Lelouch laughed self-depreciatingly, shaking his head. "I'm afraid not, Shirley-san. I'm just a student, same as you."

_Sure you are, _Shirley thought darkly, but kept that out of her expression as she continued, still pressing, "You said before you knew what it was like, losing someone to the war. Who did you lose?"

Lelouch looked taken aback, and hesitated for a moment before finally stating quietly, "My parents."

Shirley felt a pang of sympathy, but had to keep going on regardless of personal feelings. Whatever secrets Lelouch Lamperouge held, she was going to pry them out.

:"I'm sorry," she said quietly, casting her eyes downwards. "How did it happen?"

For a long time, Lelouch said nothing, and Shirley wondered if she had overplayed her hand.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"It was me. They died because of me."

000000

"They'll go easy on the man," Kallen assured him, walking through the door after a lengthy phone conversation. "My brother pulled some strings."

They had returned to the mansion in the aftermath of the incident- with their incognito status blown, there was really no other choice now. Distracted and not in the mood to talk, Suzaku had left Kallen to handle the details and gone up to his room.

"Tell him thanks," Suzaku said quietly, staring out the window, hands clasped behind his back as he stood stock still, same as he had since he arrived.

"What's wrong?" Kallen asked concernedly. "You've been out of it ever since we left the park."

She was met with a stony silence.

"Suzaku?" she said softly, suddenly afraid to break his thoughts.

"I just stood there," Suzaku finally said, sounding disgusted with himself. "I was forced to make a choice between mercy and justice… and I just froze."

"It wasn't an easy choice to make, and you shouldn't feel guilty about it," Kallen murmured, stepping forward until she was standing just behind him. "Besides, it's a matter for the courts, not you."

"Just because the prosecution belongs to a judge doesn't mean I didn't have a choice to make," Suzaku bit out frustratedly, hands clenching into tight, white-knuckled fists.

"It wasn't your fault," she urged, placing a hand on his shoulder, but Suzaku shrugged her off.

"It is my fault!" Suzaku shouted, shutting his eyes tightly. "All of this… the invasion… the reason why that little girl's father is a blank-eyed drug addict… it's because of us. Because of the empire. Because of me."

"Suzaku… I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You didn't know what would happen seven years ago, you can't be blamed-" Kallen began, but Suzaku cut her off.

"Ignorance isn't an excuse. Those people are suffering because of me. Because I betrayed them," Suzaku hissed. "I let my father's men spy on Brittania. I practically gave them half of the army deployment plans by letting them have access to the palace. I thought I was doing 'justice'… instead all I did was bring murder and death to a country of good people."

Suzaku glanced over at her with eyes full of bitter self-loathing.

"_Everything_ is my fault."

000000

"They died because of you?" Shirley's voice was subdued, cowed by the sheer amount of sorrow that threatened to drown her in Lelouch's words.

"I caused their deaths. Because I tried to be a hero…because I was a fool who thought violence could change something," Lelouch whispered, throat choked with dark memories, "And in the end all I did was cause everyone I love to suffer."

000000

Kallen had fallen silent after his words, incapable of finding anything to say that would soothe the self-directed hate filled words Suzaku was saying.

"Ever since that day… I've tried to find a way to make amends. To do real justice in this world…" Suzaku murmured, fingernails digging deep furrows into his skin. "Today I had that chance, and I spent it doing _nothing_."

"You can't save the world all on your own," Kallen said, though her words felt cheap and hollow in the face of so much fury.

"I could have tried," was Suzaku's bitter reply. "I could have done something more. _Been _something more than a bystander to yet another tragedy."

"Suzaku…" she said softly, struggling to come up with a counter-argument to pull him away from his tumultuous thoughts.

"The world needs to change, Kallen," Suzaku whispered, glancing away. "I have to change it… to make up for letting this world become this way. But I can't do it by just standing around! Standing by and doing nothing is not what will change the world. All that does is let evil take control."

000000

"But it sounds like you were just trying to do the right thing. To help your family…" Shirley offered helplessly, somehow unable to keep trying to press for information about Kouzuki Kallen in the face of such sorrow.

"I acted on my own personal feelings. There was no right or wrong, no justice, no good in my heart. Only egotistical emotions of self-righteousness," Lelouch responded hollowly, looking away. "That's why I can't stand all those people who use violence in the name of 'freedom' and 'justice'. Because all they're trying to do is gratify their own needs, without a single thought to the good of all."

Shirley, though she knew Lelouch had no way of knowing, felt as though his words were a rebuke against every battle she had fought as a member of the rebellion.

Irritated now, she shot back, "Who are you to judge others? Just because of what happened to you-"

"It's because of what happened to me that I see everything so clearly now!" Lelouch snapped back, whirling on her. "I used to think like you do, Shirley-san. I used to think that you could do good with anger in your heart- I know in your heart you hate the Japanese for what they've done. But all that does is hurt others. What is necessary to change the world, to make things better, is not anger."

000000

Unbidden, as if caught by the fiery passion of Suzaku's speech, Kallen asked, "Then what will?"

000000

Shirley, paralyzed by the conviction that flowed from Lelouch's words, whispered, "What is necessary?"

000000

"Power," Suzaku answered, eyes blazing with the inferno of a revolution.

000000

"I don't know," Lelouch replied tiredly, in the voice of a man who searched only for atonement.

000000

From just outside the Student Council Room, C.C. leaned against the wall, hands clasped behind her back as she glanced up at the ceiling.

"You idiot boy," she muttered to herself tiredly, shaking her head. "Such a fool."

A noise at the edges of her hearing caused her to look up, just in time to see a flash of pink hair at the corner and a pair of crimson eyes peering hesitantly at her.

"You can come out, you know," C.C. droned, crossing her arms.

After a few moments, Anya stepped out from around the corner, expression placid and deliberately uninterested.

"I thought it was you," C.C. said, sounding bemused. "He's not busy, you know. You could go in and speak with him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Anya shook her head, and immediately turned and began walking off, but not before C.C. called out in a voice just barely loud enough for her to hear.

"You'll have to tell him sooner or later."

Anya said nothing, and C.C. laughed, before moving away as well, going, as she said earlier, back home, her expression now considerably lighter.

000000

"… you… really believe that?" Kallen asked hesitantly.

"Isn't that the doctrine of the Empire? Might makes right?" Suzaku responded rhetorically, sounding viciously bitter.

"Suzaku… you…" whatever she was about to say was cut off as the door opened, startling both of them out of their conversation.

"Um… sorry to interrupt, Suzaku-sama, Kallen-sama," Euphemia said skittishly, bowing her head politely. "But there's a phone call for you, Kallen-sama, from a Sumeragi-sama."

Kallen looked torn between finishing their conversation and answering the phone call. Finally, albeit reluctantly, she nodded.

"Thank you, Euphemia. I'll be right there." With a lingering glance at Suzaku, which clearly said _We'll talk about this later, _she turned and left.

Suzaku let out a low, slow breath, feeling the tension slowly slip away from his body, and he glanced over at Euphemia, offering her a weak smile. "Hey."

"Are you okay?" Euphemia asked, peering closely at him with wide, concerned eyes. "You look pale."

"I'm fine," he said softly, though his tone spoke otherwise.

Without thinking, Euphemia placed the back of her hand against his forehead.

"You're not sick, are you?" she persisted, moving her face closer, eliciting a heated blush from Suzaku.

"N-no, I'm fine," he assured her, pulling away embarrassedly. _Way, way too close._

"We were just talking, that's all. How about you?" Suzaku asked, trying to divert the attention away from the previous train of conversation. "How have you been today? Any progress?"

"No," she answered, shaking her head. "Sorry, I still can't remember anything."

"That's alright. There's no rush," Suzaku responded gently, clasping her on the shoulder and squeezing reassuringly. "I promised I'd help you. There's no time limit on a promise."

"_Don't worry, don't worry! Suzaku won't forget you!" _

Euphemia smiled beneath her lashes.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"WHAT?"

The window shattering shout caused both of them to turn around in surprise, and Suzaku bolted out the door, recognizing the voice as Kallen's.

He spotted her just around the corner, phone clutched against her head, eyes wide with sudden shock.

"You've got to be kidding," Kallen muttered, "I'm not doing it! I'm here as a soldier not a -"

The familiar voice coming through the phone was audible, even to Suzaku.

"Now, now Kallen-chan! This a direct order! Naoto-kun agrees with me that this will be good for you!"

"But…" Kallen tried to protest again, but the voice cut her off.

"No buts!"

Kallen groaned.

000000

"So how was the rest of the study session yesterday?" C.C. asked coyly, peering over at him from her desk. "Had a steamy academic discourse?"

"Nothing happened, and I would really like people to someday stop insinuating I'm having relations with various women," Lelouch muttered, frustratedly hitting his head against the desk. After the intensity of the discussion yesterday, he and Shirley had actually parted ways immediately after, neither of them quite sure what to say to the other.

"Is that so?" C.C. hummed, though she said nothing afterward, thankfully, and the teacher walked in moments later, preventing her from verbally harassing him further.

_Thank God. I just want to get through this day in peace and get on with my life,_ Lelouch thought to himself tiredly.

"Attention people," he announced loudly, cutting over the eager chattering of students that always filled those scant few minutes before lessons began, "I have a very special announcement for all of you, one that you should all feel deeply honored about."

"He's enthusiastic," C.C. muttered under her breath, eliciting a smile from Lelouch, who ducked his head to avoid having his amusement seen by the teacher.

"I'm pleased to tell you all that we have a transfer student from the homeland today, one some of you might be quite familiar with. I want you all to give a warm welcome to Kouzuki Kallen-sama."

Lelouch's head jerked up so fast he probably should have gotten whiplash from the movement, and his wide, surprised eyes met those of Kallen's.

"Hello," Kallen said embarrassedly.

_I get the feeling this is going to get very, very complicated… _

000000

"You wanted Kallen-sama to go to school?" Sancia blinked, handing over a vanilla folder to him.

"She's practically been raised on the battlefield since she got inducted into the _Shichitennou_," Naoto murmured, a melancholic tone in his voice. "She's had to fight her whole life to prove herself… I want her just once to be a normal girl. Kaguya-sama agreed with me, and pulled the strings necessary to get everything arranged."

"Quite a doting brother, sir," she noted dryly, passing him a second folder. "This is all the data I've managed to obtain on the drug 'Reaper' that Kallen-sama had mentioned. It seems like she was correct in her assertion that it's been plaguing the country. According to Secretary Tamaki, a number of incidents in the factories have been directly caused by the abuse of this substance."

"Huh. I guess my baby sister's instincts are on the mark," Naoto said, sounding bemused as he flipped through the folder. "Well, we'll put it on the agenda. But I'm still a lot more worried about the rebellion than I am about a few drug lords. How much damage can they possibly do, anyways?"

000000

"Question: what do people value most?"

The man's eyes were wide and shaking, sweat running down a feverish face. His groans and desperate pleas were muffled by the duct tape over his mouth, and he strained against the thick brown ropes binding him tightly against the stainless steel metal chair.

"Oh right, I forgot." He smiled- or at least, his mouth moved in a twisted parody of one, devoid of any of the intentions that were supposed to be conveyed by the expression. With mocking gentleness, he ripped off the duct tape.

"Now, let's try that again," he said cheerfully, his free hand brandishing a gleaming knife centimeters away from the hostage's eyes. "Question: what do people value most?"

"P-p-please let me go," the man begged, tears streaming down his bruised, swollen cheeks, evidence of a vicious beating. "I promise, I won't skim profits off the top again. I'll stick to your regulations on how to deal out 'Reaper', so please…"

"Now, now, don't be rude, mister," he chastised, tapping his knife lightly against the man's cheek, pressing just enough to make a furrow, but not enough to draw blood. "I asked you a question."

"Please!" the tears were coming down harder now. "I've been a loyal member of the organization for years! Just let me go home!"

"Answer the question, and I will, I promise!" he said in a sing-song voice, waving the knife like a composer's baton.

"O-o-okay," the man panted, blinking in confusion. "People value… money?"

"Wrong!" he responded with a laugh. "It's their lives!"

And with that, he pressed the knife harder against the man's throat, drawing a thin line of blood.

"You promised!" the man shrieked, panicked, "You promised me!"

"I lied."

And with a single sweep and a raucous laugh, he slit the man's throat, letting the blood splatter violently across his hand, staining them a bright red.

An idle drop of blood landed against his cheek, and with a smile like the edge of a razor, he licked it away, savoring the coppery taste.

"Are you done having fun?"

With a grin, he turned around, absently dropping the knife and wiping the blood casually against his jeans. "Just doing a bit of cleanup, boss man. Can't let the middle managers think they can steal from the organization and get away with it."

"You seem to have gotten used to the persona of a drug-dealing crime lord," the other man noted. He stood silhouetted in the doorway, a massive, broad-shouldered bear of a man stood in the doorway, a dry smile on his face. "You haven't forgotten why I had you start the organization in the first place, correct?"

"I remember, I remember," he murmured, licking the blood off his fingers with a predatory look. "Dealing out 'Reaper' is just a test run for Balor. Doesn't mean I can't have fun with it."

"Well, I've got a new assignment for you."

His ears perked up, and he paused in his disturbing actions for a moment. "Oh?"

"The new Commander of the Japanese military forces is taking an interest in your activities. If they start looking too closely at 'Reaper', they might realize it's more than just another drug."

"So, you want me to run a distraction?" His grin took on a more feral nature. "Do you want murder, mayhem, or massacre?"

"All three," came the darkly amused answer. "I want you to do what you do best, mister 'genius of homicide'… show them terror. Give them something to worry over until Balor is ready."

"So… I can have some fun?"

"Yes, Luciano. Yes, you can have some fun. All the fun you want."

Luciano Bradley grinned a blood splattered smile that promised only murder.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's kill some people."

Author's Notes

Well this chapter came out quickly. I had a few more scenes planned, but unfortunately they would have broken the flow of the chapter and thus I've had to postpone them till next time. Luckily, that also made this come out all the quicker.

The meat of the chapter was the discussions between Lelouch and Shirley, and Suzaku and Kallen, which were another parallel to a pair of scenes in R1 (during the episode where they introduced Euphemia).

And yes, I know learning probabilities is probably not really on a high school agenda, but it's the homework I was doing between working on this chapter, so that's what they get to study.

Not much else to say here, so I'll leave off for now. See you next time.


	7. Chapter 6: Know Your Enemy

_How long, how long will I slide  
Separate my side  
I don't, I don't believe it's bad  
Slittin' my throat it's all I ever_

"Otherside", Red Hot Chili Peppers

Chapter 6

Know Your Enemy

"Hello," Kallen said, feeling more awkward than she had ever been in her entire seventeen years of life. The sea of dumbstruck, wide eyed expressions of the class did not help the feeling. And in the middle of them, staring straight back into her eyes with an expression of a deer in the headlights, was Lelouch Lamperouge.

The fact that he was in this class was as shocking to her as it clearly was to him, but she had to keep calm and pretend she didn't recognize him, both for her sake and his.

"Well, I'm sure Kallen-sama doesn't want to be standing around getting gawked at by you all," the teacher cut in blessedly, and smiled at her reassuringly. "Why don't you take a seat… ah, there! By Lelouch-kun!"

Lelouch looked thunderstruck. Kallen fought hard to make sure she didn't betray the same expression, and glanced over at the teacher, who gestured encouragingly towards the empty seat.

Hiding her reluctance, Kallen made her way over to the desk and said down as calmly, gracefully as she could, giving an acknowledging, neutral nod to Lelouch as she did so.

"How lucky!" she heard one boy mutter.

"That damn Lelouch, he already has C.C.-san!" was another annoyed whisper she caught.

_C.C., huh?_ Kallen thought briefly back to the phone call Lelouch received the other day, and the girl who had been on the other line. Was that her?

"Well, Kallen-sama," the teacher said graciously, drawing her attention back to the front, "Since you don't have your own books yet… Lelouch-kun, would you mind sharing?"

"Not at all, sensei," Lelouch said smoothly, passing the textbook over to her, all the while steadfastly looking anywhere but towards her.

"Well then, all of you, let's get started. Turn your textbooks to chapter seven, and we'll continue…"

Kallen had the odd feeling that things were only going to get more awkward from here.

00000

The drone of the instructor's voice turned into an indifferent buzz in his ears, and allowed Lelouch's thoughts to relax somewhat as he considered the situation.

Kallen was here, at this school. His every instinct screamed that this was the work of the president- and indeed, there were few other ways that somehow could transfer to the school without at least a note passing by his desk as the Vice President of the Student Council.

There was nothing wrong with it, of course, other than the slim possibility that, if it came to light that he had met her before today, questions regarding his true identity might arise. But there was only the smallest of probabilities in that regard, and Lelouch felt confident it would be a non-issue.

Her presence at the school, however, would be… interesting, to say the least. As a known half-blood, Kallen was the poster child for all Brittanians, an example of progress in the empire. Seeing her in person would no doubt have a nice effect on the students here, and likely help further the goal of the Sumeragi Academy to promote a peaceful co-existence between the Japanese and Brittanians.

_The president is, as always, clever_, Lelouch thought to himself amusedly. Sometimes he wondered if the president's craftiness was beyond even his genius- certainly, the number of times she'd tricked, coerced, or otherwise forced him into situations he did not want to be in spoke volumes about her guile.

The rest of the classes passed by in a blur- despite the new arrival sitting next to him, very little had changed about his daily life, really.

It was only at the lunch break that a change occurred, in the form of Kouzuki Kallen standing over him.

"Um… you're the student Vice President, Lelouch Lamperouge, correct?" she asked hesitantly, and then, as if realizing it might be suspicious she knew his face, added quickly, "Kaguya-san told me to talk to you after classes, so if you have a moment, I would like to speak to you."

"Ah, of course," Lelouch said pleasantly, standing up from his desk and offering her a deep, respectful bow. "Please, follow me. We can talk in the Student Council Room."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw C.C., her expression unreadable. He only had a second to puzzle over the look she was giving him when he realized every male in the classroom was also glaring daggers at him.

Kallen, however, failed to notice, and simply nodded along. "After you."

Now somewhat reluctantly, Lelouch stood up and lead the way.

00000

"Kallen-sama is at school?" Euphemia asked curiously, standing next to him at the dining table, waiting for him to finish his lunch.

"Yeah," Suzaku answered distractedly, sipping a bowl of miso soup as he did so. "Her brother thought it best."

"School…" Euphemia trailed off, looking distracted. "That sounds like quite a lot of fun. I bet she'll really enjoy herself."

"I suppose she might," Suzaku agreed, polishing off the last of his miso. "Lelouch is there, so I'm sure he'll be able to help her out. And Kaguya will be back in a few days as well."

"It must be so nice to be able to spend so much time around other people your age," Euphemia said, a trace of wistfulness in her voice.

Suzaku, in a rare bit of remarkable insight, glanced over at her with a curious look. "Do you want to go to school, Euphie?"

She blushed and looked away, obviously flustered. "I- I'm perfectly happy as is…"

"Euphie…" Suzaku felt a pang of sorrow. "I would like to help you with that, but…"

"I know, I know," Euphemia interrupted, giving him an understanding smile. "I didn't even know my name before, and going out in public like that is just too risky."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, reaching over and patting her hand. "I really wish I could do more."

"You've done more than enough," she replied, smiling a little wider. "You've done so much for me already, Suzaku-sama. I can't ask for more."

Suzaku had nothing more to say to that, and so he stood, piling up the last of the dishes as he did so. "Well, let's go then, and see Nunnally, I haven't been able to go since two days ago, and if you wouldn't mind accompanying me…"

"Of course," Euphemia said immediately, nodding.

"Where are you two off to, hmm?" Milly asked salaciously, offering them a catty smile. "A nice little rendezvous? And just after your fiancée gets to the country, Suzaku-sama?"

"Knock it off, Milly," Suzaku muttered, shaking his head and steadfastly refusing to acknowledge the slight heat in his cheeks. "We're going to see Nunnally."

"That might have to wait a little," Milly said apologetically, bowing her head. "Lloyd-sama and Cecile-sama are here, asking to speak with you. In the interest of keeping things quiet, I directed them towards one of the anterooms."

"Thank you," Suzaku said quietly, and glanced over at Euphemia. "Sorry Euphie, I need to take care of this. I'll come find you when I finish."

"Please, take your time," Euphemia said politely, bowing.

Suzaku gave her a look of thanks, and headed off through the mansion, Milly following close behind. She only hurried ahead of him once they reached the double doors of the anteroom, opening the doors for him as befitting her station.

"Suzaku-sama," Cecile greeted as she stood, bowing deeply, clad in a practical woman's business suit with a skirt that ended just at her knee.

Lloyd, on the other hand, merely waved from his seated position on the couch, dressed sloppily in a long sleeved shirt and jeans. "Heya Milly! Haven't seen you in a while!"

Milly smiled and bowed her head. "And hello to you as well, Lloyd."

"Lloyd-san, Cecile-san." Suzaku returned the greeting with a nod.

"Nice digs, your highness," Lloyd complimented, glancing around before he gave Suzaku a whimsical smile. "Though I have to say, isn't it rather unusual for someone so high ranking in the Empire to live in a Western-style house?"

Cecile glared at Lloyd as if trying to make him shut up through the force of her stare, but Suzaku only smiled.

"I like the style," Suzaku admitted, "My official reasoning for it, though, is that it's supposed to help me 'identify' with the Brittanian people."

That was his excuse to Kyoto, anyway, when requesting permission to build the mansion. Truth be told, it was also because taking away something else from Brittania, like its cultural style, in addition to simply ruling over them, was something Suzaku wanted to avoid.

Coughing, he diverted the topic towards business. "You have something for me, then?"

"After running some initial tests, I'm afraid we still have very little idea about the actual mechanics regarding the interface system," Cecile explained. "We have, however, identified the metal makeup of the _Caliburn_ as a synthetic alloy, one that is currently not used by any known Knightmare Frame creator today."

"In fact, if not for Cecile-chan being so widely read and remembering that she'd read about these things in a journal, we might not have realized it at all!" Lloyd added cheerily.

"So you can't tell me anything about where the _Caliburn_ came from?" Suzaku questioned, feeling despair.

"Well, not directly identifiable," Lloyd amended, smiling wider. "While it's true we can't trace the material to any kind of maker, the fact remains that there are only a few organizations in the world with the kind of resources and scientific ability necessary to create such a remarkable alloy. The Rosenbaum Institute, Kirihara Industries, the Ushiromiya Group, and the Atlantic Arms Corporation are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head, in fact."

"So we have four suspects," Suzaku muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Any one of them could be responsible for the _Caliburn_ though, correct?"

"I'm afraid so," Lloyd answered.

Suzaku sighed. "Well, thank you for that."

"Suzaku-sama…" Cecile cut in hesitantly. "I hate to ask this, but… is there any more information you can provide us with regarding the internal systems of the _Caliburn_? The system is an impenetrable black box to any conventional method of trying to piece out the workings. If we had just an inkling of how it worked…"

Suzaku glanced over at Milly. He could divulge Euphemia's existence and the mysterious powers she possessed, but… he had promised to defend her. There had to be another way. He could talk about his own connection, perhaps.

"I have… a connection with it." Suzaku's voice seemed to echo within the silence of the room, and all three other occupants stood in rapt attention. "It responds to my will. Once, when I was desperate… it activated a hidden function without any kind of prompt."

Cecile seemed surprised, but Lloyd merely smiled.

"Is that so…" Lloyd murmured contemplatively.

"Do you think Suzaku-sama's DNA is a genetic key to the system?" Cecile questioned, glancing over at her employer.

"It's possible," Lloyd agreed, nodding as he gave Suzaku a hooded look. "And how did this… connection come about?"

"I received it from someone. That person is someone precious to me, however, and I won't divulge their secrets," Suzaku said firmly.

"So we have a control interface designed around a few conventional hand controls and direct nerve impulses stemming from a genetic key," Lloyd hummed thoughtfully. "Do you mind if we get a sample of your blood, Suzaku-kun?"

"M-my blood?" Suzaku blinked. "I… uh… sure. How are you going to get it?"

"We don't have to do it now, of course," Lloyd responded, smiling. "But the next time you get a chance, just come by the office."

"Fine," Suzaku agreed, though inwardly he disliked the idea of being pricked with needles like a science experiment. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Nope," Lloyd replied with a boyish grin. "We'll let you get back to doing whatever it is princes do then."

Cecile elbowed him rather hard in the ribs and offered Suzaku an apologetic smile. "Thank you the information, Suzaku-sama. We'll contact you as soon as we have more results."

As they left, Milly glanced over at him with an unreadable look.

"What?" Suzaku asked, curious.

"You really care about Euphemia, huh?" she asked, a secretive smile on her face.

He flushed. "I made a promise."

"Well, then I guess I should let you two run along on your little rendezvous," she sighed, looking for all the world like a helpless big sister trying in vain to guide a stubborn younger brother. "What happened to the days when you had no interest in girls, hmm? You've grown up so much!"

"And you haven't at all," Suzaku muttered, rolling his eyes, all the while pretending his cheeks weren't flamingly red.

"But in all seriousness," Milly said, tone losing its teasing nature, "Do you think hiding the information is the best idea?"

He turned towards her abruptly, giving her a searching look. "What do you mean by that?"

"Suzaku-sama… I like Euphie, I really do," Milly said hesitantly. "She's a sweet girl. But you never said anything about being psychically connected to that Knightmare. How do you know there aren't any kind of side effects…"

"I'm fine," Suzaku said curtly, suddenly irritated at Milly's protective caution.

"Sorry, I didn't meant anything against Euphie," Milly said, pulling back quickly. "But you've got to face the facts, Suzaku-sama. You're sheltering an amnesiac princess and hiding a Knightmare Frame that is apparently from Mars or something."

"What's the point?" he said roughly, giving her a challenging look.

Milly was undeterred by his irritated glare. "My point is, you're still a prince. Doing things like this is reckless- you're putting yourself and Euphie in danger. For right now, maybe things will be fine, but in the future… Suzaku-sama, just what are you going to do?"

Suzaku said nothing, and turned away.

Milly sighed, as if admitting defeat. "Who am I kidding? You'd charge a dragon with your bare fists to keep a stranger from getting hurt, let alone a friend."

"Milly…" Suzaku suddenly felt contrite for being so gruff with her.

Milly turned away, waving her hand dismissively. "It's fine. Sometimes I forget I can't really talk you out of doing crazy things. Just… be careful, will you?"

"I will," Suzaku promised.

"You won't," Milly said, chuckling as she glanced back over at him with a fond smile. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

00000

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon," Lelouch joked, as he shut the door to the Student Council room, more out of nervousness than any kind of brevity.

"Yes, well, Kaguya-san threw this at me yesterday. Didn't really have much time to make an announcement," Kallen replied, her tone matching his as she took a seat (notably managing to not look surprised at the ornate pink throne of a chair that stood at the far end of the table).

"Well, what instructions does the princess have for me?" Lelouch asked, seating himself across from her and propping his elbows up on the table. Upon seeing Kallen's surprise at his intuitive guess, he added, "I've been working with her for a number of years already. Anticipating her actions is something of a survival skill I've picked up over the years."

"A wise decision," Kallen chuckled, shaking her head. "She wanted to let you know she's coming back in a few more days, after she finishes dealing with a suitor that the Imperial Council arranged for her to meet. And before she gets back she wants the new budget outlined, that way she's free to plan a 'celebration' for her return and my arrival."

Lelouch winced inwardly in sympathy for whatever poor, unlucky bastard Kaguya had tortured into deciding not to marry her. The president seemed to prefer her freedom, and any noble who was put into the veritable lion's den of engagement with her was just collateral to her desires.

"Well, she'll be happy to know the budget is done already," Lelouch said, a slight smile of smugness on his face. "And that despite her recent acquisitions, we are still well under budget, so whatever celebration she has in mind is fine."

"She was right about you," Kallen noted, causing him to blink. "You really do like to show off."

Lelouch looked flustered. "I do not," he asserted firmly. "And even if that were the case, there's no harm in taking pride in one's accomplishments."

"Sure," Kallen said dryly.

Lelouch coughed, glancing away. "How's Suzaku?" he asked, trying to divert the subject matter away from his own faults.

"He's fine," Kallen replied generously, allowing him to change the topic. She seemed oddly hesitant as she continued, her tone noticeably slower, "I uh… Haven't told him yet, about the day we met. About the fact that I saw my father."

Lelouch blinked, his placid expression twisting into one of confusion. "You haven't? Why not?"

"I haven't gotten around to telling him, that's all," Kallen muttered stubbornly, crossing her arms. "It's just… embarrassing. And after not seeing Suzaku in so long… I just didn't want to bring up things like that so quickly."

Peeking up from her downward gaze, eyes peering through her bangs, she asked quietly, "Have you told anyone?"

"No," Lelouch answered quickly, shaking his head. "That boy, Rivalz- the student we saw at the pub? He's told one person that you were around that day, but I've told no one about what you were doing."

"Thank you," Kallen said gratefully, offering him a smile. "Really."

"It was nothing," Lelouch responded, feeling mildly embarrassed. "By the way, since you're attending this academy… what about your duties to the military?"

Kallen seemed disconcerted by yet another change in topic for a second, before she answered, "I'll be attending this academy whenever I get the chance. If there's a crisis that the Emperor requires me to attend to, I will be absent. I'm not really here for the classes, as much as the experience. That's what Kaguya-san said, anyways."

"Sounds fair enough." Lelouch reclined into the chair, letting out a low breath as he crossed his arms behind his head, placing his hands upon his neck. "The president really is clever."

Once more, Kallen was confused. "What do you mean?"

Lelouch smiled. "She's giving you, a friend, the chance to experience life as a normal teenager. A chance I'm willing to bet you haven't had before." Kallen's embarrassed expression was all the confirmation he needed. "And meanwhile, you being here, at this particular academy… well, let's just say you are the paragon of what this academy wants to teach its students."

At Kallen's blank look, he elaborated, "Cooperation. You, Kallen-san, are proof that Japan and Brittania may have a chance at actually becoming something more than conqueror and conquered. That the Empire is changing, and that someday maybe the non-Japanese members of the Empire can rise above their station. For a half-blood like you to be the Seventh Sword, one of the Emperor's personal warriors… it's a sign that things can be better."

The level of passion, and even excitement in his voice gave Kallen pause, even as she squirmed at the level of praise he was directing toward her. "You sound like you really want this to happen. The peaceful merging of Brittania and Japan. Even though you're…"

_A prince._ The words hung in the air, and for a moment, Lelouch felt all the phantom weight of the name Vi Brittania on his shoulders again, as his blood stirred in remembrance of his royal heritage.

"I'm aware of my background," Lelouch cut in politely, offering her a neutral look. "But I've also cast that name aside. My name is Lelouch Lamperouge, Kallen-san. And as that person, my heart is set only on seeing a peaceful integration of our peoples. Suzaku is my best friend, and I think our friendship is another part of that. It may take time, but it will happen, God willing."

"God willing," Kallen echoed, feeling humbled by the vision he had painted. Her mind drifted back to her father- if that day did come, maybe her family could be together again too.

They drifted off into a comfortable silence, until at last Lelouch spoke again. "Well, I don't want to keep you here, especially during the lunch hour," he added, chuckling as he stood.

"I am pretty hungry, now that you mention it," Kallen agreed, feeling the hunger pangs for the first time.

"Well, the cafeteria is just down the hall. It's fairly good, I have to say," Lelouch commented as he opened the door, gesturing for her to move on through. "Ladies first."

"Hmph. Thanks," Kallen said sincerely, giving him a nod. "Really."

"No problem." Lelouch paused, as if remembering something. "Oh, and before I forget…"

Kallen turned, midway through the door, looking curious.

Lelouch smiled, and held out a hand. "Welcome to the Sumeragi Academy."

Kallen smiled back. "It's good to be here."

00000

"So that was Kouzuki Kallen," Shirley noted, arms crossed. She was standing just around the corner, watching Lelouch and Kallen head off toward the lunchroom with an unreadable expression.

"Told you she was in town," Rivalz said, grinning. "And man, she's even cuter in person!"

"Hmph." Shirley rolled her eyes at Rivalz's characteristic boyishness, determined to focus on the task at hand. "Going to this school was a good decision after all. Looks like we might be able to get some serious intelligence from now on."

"It's always business with you," Rivalz muttered, sounding despondent.

"That's because one of us has to be this way," Shirley shot back. "And what would you rather have me do?"

"I dunno. Maybe worry that your boyfriend is about to be taken away by the Empire's cutest pilot?" Rivalz teased, which earned him a stinging punch to the shoulder in retribution.

"Come on, let's go," Shirley muttered, turning away. "I've got to think about our next move."

"What move is that?"

Shirley and Rivalz both whirled about, startled.

C.C. stood behind them, smiling innocently. "You know, voyeurism is a pretty bad habit."

"We weren't- I wasn't…" Shirley trailed off, gritting her teeth. "Is there something you need, C.C.-san?"

C.C. ignored, stepping past them, her eyes fixed on the hallway that Lelouch and Kallen had departed down.

"So, that's who he ran into the other day, hmm?" C.C. murmured to herself, so faint that Shirley almost missed it.

"Were you watching them too?" Shirley asked, in a sudden burst of insight.

C.C. flicked a glance over at her, a mysterious smile on her face. "Just because it's a bad habit doesn't mean I don't do it either." And with that, she sauntered off.

"Do you think she knows?" Rivalz asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Shirley muttered. "I just don't know."

00000

_"You've got to face the facts, Suzaku-sama. You're sheltering an amnesiac princess and hiding a Knightmare Frame that is apparently from Mars or something."_

"Suzaku-sama?"

_What does she want me to do? I can't just leave Euphie alone… and I can't trust the Empire with the Caliburn for sure. The only person who can take care of both her and that machine right now is me. _

"Suzaku-sama?"

Suzaku remained unmoved by the greeting, hands folded tightly, lips pursed in concentration as he kept a taciturn vigil over Nunnally's unconscious form. The steady beeping of the machines that monitored the comatose girl's state seemed to echo loudly from within Suzaku's silence.

"Suzaku-sama!"

Finally startled out of his reverie, Suzaku glanced up with a surprised expression to see the rather annoyed face of Euphemia, who had planted her fists on her hips and was standing over him.

"Finally," she said, the annoyance fading into a look of concern as she pulled back. "You haven't said a word since before we even arrived here. Are you okay, Suzaku-sama?"

_"Just what are you going to do?"_

Suzaku attempted a lackluster smile. "I'm fine."

Euphemia pursed her lips in a disbelieving stare.

"Really," Suzaku insisted. "I'm just distracted, that's all. Did you need something?"

Euphemia shook her head, looking slightly hurt by his reluctance to confide in her. Upon seeing that look, Suzaku felt a wave of regret and he placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly.

"I'm sorry if I sounded rough," he apologized. "There's just a lot of things I have to think about."

Euphemia's expression brightened, and she smiled at him. "No, it's okay. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Suzaku shook his head, offering a weak smile in return. "It's nothing important, just work-related. Nothing you need to worry about, Euphie."

Euphemia was silent for a long while, and Suzaku briefly hoped he had managed to convince her to let the matter drop. It faded, however, as she spoke again.

"You know, you don't need to lie to me."

Suzaku froze.

Euphemia did not look at him, her back turned away, shoulders set straight as she stared out towards the window. "I might not remember anything… but I'm not weak. You don't need to lie and tell me everything is fine."

He felt shamed by her words, and, with a hesitant glance over at her, he opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him.

"You've done so much for me, Suzaku-sama," she murmured, sounding at once grateful and sad, "That's why I don't want to be a burden to you. I want to be able to help you, even if it's only as someone who can listen to your problems."

She turned back towards him, and in that moment she was the Euphemia of old- kind, stubborn, and gentle.

"So please," she whispered, "Please don't lie to me."

00000

Kewell Sorsei was rapidly running out of things to do. With Lord Weinberg's strict orders that he was not to work on anything related to the rebellion for the next few days, it left him with admittedly few ways to spend his time. His family had left him with enough money to live off of for quite a while, and his level of involvement with the rebellion as Lord Weinberg's second meant that holding a regular job was simply impossible.

He had, in the past day, cleaned his apartment from top to bottom, paid off his bills, sorted his bookcase, and even gotten around to reading a few things on said bookshelf he had been meaning to read for quite some time.

In short, he was bored.

A knock caused him to look up from his reading, and he set the book down on the armchair as he stood up and walked towards the door. As a precaution, he grabbed the pistol he kept stuffed inside one of the jackets in closet next to the door, before peering through the peephole to see who it was.

"Kewell-san? Are you there?"

Upon hearing her voice, Kewell almost tripped over himself opening the door, and offered her a slightly nervous smile. "Y-yes," he said quickly, offering her a slightly nervous smile, "What can I do for you, Viletta-san?"

Viletta Nu was his next door neighbor, and, if he was being perfectly honest, a woman he was particularly fond of romantically. She worked two jobs to help support her younger brothers, as their parents had been killed during the invasion, leaving them destitute, and Kewell, being "a bit of a hopeless romantic" (according to Lord Weinberg, anyway), often volunteered to look after her brothers when work made it impossible for her.

She smiled, and presented him with a plate wrapped in tinfoil. "I made a little bit more food than I needed to for lunch, and my brothers are all full, so I thought I might bring it over here and see if you were hungry. I hope I didn't interrupt you."

"Not at all. I was just doing a spot of reading," Kewell assured her gently, opening the door a little wider. "Do you want to come in? I just cleaned up."

"I would love to, but I have to go to work now, actually," Viletta said apologetically. "But I wanted to bring you something to thank you for agreeing to help today."

"It's nothing," Kewell assured her, bowing his head in a humble gesture as he took the plate. "Really. The boys aren't any trouble."

"Thank you so much," she said softly, as her expression briefly flickered, showing a measure of sadness that made Kewell's heart ache, "I wish I didn't have to rely on you so much. You have your own life and problems, you don't need mine…"

"Viletta-san," he interrupted, causing her to meet his eyes. "It's my pleasure, I said."

"Thank you," Viletta repeated, smiling. They shared a smile for a moment, and Kewell suddenly felt a measure of courage stirring. Maybe he should say something, make his intentions and feelings known-

"I really have to go now," she said, and his courage deflated as rapidly as a balloon with dozens of holes poked into it by a particularly malicious child, "Thank you again."

"O-of course," Kewell responded quickly, his cheeks suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm, "Please, don't let me keep you. And thank you again for the food."

"My pleasure," Viletta said, echoing his own words with another smile.

And with that, she turned and headed off, leaving Kewell standing at the doorway holding the plate in his hands and a confession stuck in his throat.

"Huh, I can see why you're always so eager to help her out."

Kewell almost dropped the plate as he whirled about, to see the grinning, amused face of his lord.

"I'm not usually one for older women, but man," Gino said slowly, shaking his head as his grin widened, "You have good taste Kewell."

"M-my lord," Kewell said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Got bored, figured I'd come by, maybe borrow a couple of those books you're always referencing so you don't make me look like a complete fool all the time," Gino said, shrugging. "I finished the work pretty quickly, and even got around to requesting replacement parts for Shirley's machine. See? I'm not so irresponsible after all."

"I am impressed, my lord," Kewell said dryly. "Though I thought the Weinberg library had a much larger collection than the small bookshelf I have here in my apartment."

"Yeah, but most of that stuff is records or histories. Boring stuff," Gino said casually, brushing his way past Kewell into the apartment. "Besides, I haven't dropped by your apartment in quite some time. Figured I should look after the well-being of my subordinates."

"You didn't want to cook, so you decided to see if you could get some food from me, didn't you, my lord?" Kewell asked suddenly.

Gino had the grace to look sheepish. "Well…"

"My lord, you really should learn to cook for yourself," Kewell muttered, though there was a trace of fondness in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah," Gino replied, shrugging again. "Well, don't worry about that plate you've got in your hands- I'm not one to get between a man and the cooking of the one he loves."

Kewell flushed.

Gino made his way over to the kitchen which was adjoined to the living room, briefly pausing to glance over at the title of the book Kewell had been reading.

"_A Tale of Two Cities_? A bit sad for some light afternoon reading," Gino quipped.

"With the state of the country, I felt reading something light inappropriate," Kewell replied with a shrug of his own. "Besides, Dickens is always a good choice."

And, he was reluctant to admit, reading about sacrificing something for the one you love, amidst war and revolution, had a kind of romantic charm to him. At the least, reading about someone else's unspoken love in another turbulent time made him feel a little less pathetic about his inability to say anything to Viletta.

"Hmm," Gino said, shrugging. "I guess you'd know better than me." Switching tone, he practically skipped into the kitchen as he pried open the refrigerator. "Now, where's that food?"

Kewell sighed as he shut the door. "To the right, my lord."

_Maybe next time_, he promised himself. Next time he would say something.

00000

There was a long silence in the aftermath of Euphemia's declaration, and Suzaku felt hopelessly, utterly lost.

All he wanted for Euphemia was to keep her safe, to shield this girl, this remnant of the innocence of the past from harm, but in doing so he was clearly hurting her as well.

_I'm being selfish_, he realized suddenly, eyes widening. _My desire to help her is what I want, not what she's asking for. _

"I'm sorry," Suzaku murmured quietly, glancing up at her. "I was… wrong. I was doing things only with my own feelings in mind, not yours."

Euphemia said nothing, but her smile remained gentle and understanding.

"I was worried about what to do… about you, and the _Caliburn_," he admitted reluctantly, "Milly reminded me that I can't just hide you forever, and that I need to figure out something for the future."

"Oh," Euphemia said, face falling slightly as she fell back down into the seat next to him, falling silent.

"I'm not going to break my promise," Suzaku said determinedly, his gaze fierce. "I'm not. But I just… don't know what to do. I don't know how to make things _right._"

"You don't need to do that alone."

Euphemia was smiling as she placed a hand over his. "We can figure it out together."

Suzaku managed a smile of his own in return. "Together," he agreed.

00000

Kallen was ashamed to admit she had gotten lost in the Academy. It was after classes and, feeling reluctant to go home just quite yet, she had taken to strolling about the grounds- she had, however, underestimated just how sprawling the campus really was, and thus was now somewhere in the gardens, practically in a forest for all intents and purposes.

Still… it was a very beautiful place. Kaguya's tastes hadn't changed.

With a smile, Kallen sat down a nearby white marble backless bench and sighed, deciding to take a short break.

She was surprised to be so tired. Working as a soldier had taught her to cope with fatigue, and the rigors of the battlefield were something she was used to. Life as a civilian student was not something she had thought would wear her out so much.

But it had. And… it had been fun, in a way, to just live like a normal girl.

_"She's giving you, a friend, the chance to experience life as a normal teenager. A chance I'm willing to bet you haven't had before."_

"He was right," Kallen admitted softly to herself, a little reluctantly. Lelouch was remarkably skilled at reading people- he had seen into the relationship between herself and Kaguya with just a base knowledge of both of their personalities and histories.

Then again, Suzaku always did speak about how borderline scary Lelouch's intelligence actually was. It was probably why they got along so well- Suzaku with his impulsive, physical nature, and Lelouch with his cool-headed, razor-sharp intellect.

Suzaku. She wondered if he had ever wanted to attend school like this. It suddenly made her feel uncomfortably privileged- yes, she was a noble and one of the _Shichitennou_, but her responsibilities seemed practically inconsequential in comparison to Suzaku's. She was able to enjoy an utterly normal day as a student, while he could never escape the burden of being a prince.

_"Power," Suzaku answered, eyes blazing with the inferno of a revolution._

His words from the other day came back to her, and most especially the expression on his face stuck out most in her mind. He had looked… different. Not the Suzaku she had known since they were children, but a man of relentless, ferocious, and above all else dangerous determination.

She hadn't much spoken to him since that talk, and really, she just couldn't think of what to say. Nothing he had said wasn't exactly incorrect regarding Japan and Brittania… but somehow, it just felt wrong to her. Suzaku had always felt guilty about helping the invasion of Brittania, but this was the first time he had ever shown so much fury about it.

Something was changing him, Kallen was sure.

What that something was, however, was unknown to her. Nevertheless, it also worried her greatly- Suzaku could be extraordinarily reckless sometimes.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she froze mid-contemplation, as instincts honed on the battlefield suddenly flared up.

"Who's there?" she asked slowly, straightening ever so slightly. It was probably nothing, just her being paranoid or some overeager teenage boy driven on by hormones, but…

"S-sorry," came a hesitant female voice, and from around the corner an unfamiliar girl with strawberry blonde hair stepped forward, wringing her hands nervously. "I didn't know anyone would be here."

00000

_She's good, _Shirley admitted grudgingly, as she turned the corner, keeping up the façade of a nervous student being called out in front of a celebrity. Shirley had some substantial experience infiltrating and avoiding detection, and had slipped by even military security before- but this Kouzuki Kallen had sensed her the moment she'd come close.

"No, it's my fault," Kouzuki said quickly, offering her a smile. "I was just being paranoid, that's all. What's your name?"

"Shirley Fenette, Kouzuki-sama," Shirley said, adding on the fake stutter and the honorific to present the façade of an overawed teenage girl.

"Just Kallen will do, Shirley-san," she replied generously.

The sheer… normalcy of Kouzuki's attitude sickened Shirley. Here was one of the Emperor's trained killers, a dog of war, sitting her and speaking to her like any other teenage girl off the street.

For a moment, Shirley considered drawing the knife she kept sheathed on a holster wrapped around her thigh. Assassinating one of the _Shichitennou _would be well worth the price of blowing her cover, but on the other hand, that was only assuming she could win, and with Kouzuki now alert to her presence, the chances of that seemed unlikely.

For now… she'd have to just play the student.

"O-okay," she agreed, smiling the shy smile she'd perfected over the years as a cover, "K-Kallen-sama."

"There we go," Kouzuki said, smiling back. She leaned back against the bench, gazing around the gardens. "This campus is so beautiful."

"Yes," Shirley agreed passively, though inwardly she despised the beauty of these gardens- money spent on this could have been spent on improving conditions elsewhere in the city, she thought privately.

"Have you been a student here long, Shirley-san?" Kouzuki questioned, jolting her from her thoughts.

Shirley pasted on the best smile she could. "I started attending the Academy at the start of high school, Kallen-sama. Before that, I lived outside the city, with my mother, and attended a public school there."

Kouzuki nodded. "And now? Are you living alone, or with your father? It sounds like your mother didn't come with you…"

Shirley stiffened. "My father is dead," she said tonelessly, "My mother is very weak, so she's still in the countryside. I'm living alone right now."

The other girl had the grace to blush and look deeply embarrassed, looking away. "Oh. I'm sorry… was it… was it during the invasion?"

_Feeling guilty for the sins of your empire, Kouzuki? _Shirley thought scornfully, but her mask of pained reluctance remained in place.

"Actually, it was a little after. During… during the Bloody Sunday riots," Shirley explained, and after she spoke, suddenly regretted the admission. "My father was killed in the confusion."

"The insurrection led by rebellious Brittanians who resisted the Windsor Treaty," Kouzuki murmured softly. "I see."

For whatever reason, Shirley spoke again. "My father wasn't an insurrectionist. He supported the treaty, and the peace. But the military police didn't care. The riots were too out of control, they said, and they went around and 'pacified' entire cities."

A part of her felt grim satisfaction as Kouzuki flinched as though struck physically by her words. It was that same part of her that led her to join the rebellion in the first place, to enjoy the thrill of battle and the dark gratification of killing her father's murderers.

"I won't claim the Empire is perfect," Kouzuki said suddenly, and Shirley blinked. "Or that I have any right to apologize to you. I've killed a lot of people. But… for what it's worth, I am sorry. I know something of what it's like… to not have your father around anymore."

The sympathy in her voice irritated Shirley, stirring up rage in the pit of her stomach. What could a spoiled noble, a favored servant of the Emperor, know about the pain of losing her daddy? To not even be able to see his face one last time, because of how badly the police had beaten him to death? To hear the strangled sobs of her widowed mother late at night, when she would come home after performing any kind of menial task just to get by?

Without thinking, her hand had begun to reach for the knife, but before it reached the little custom slit she had made in her skirt where she could have easy access to the weapon, Kouzuki had taken her hand.

Almost on reflex, Shirley started to move into the simple self-defense moves Gino had taught her, when she restrained herself at the last moment.

"But I promise you," Kouzuki said slowly, seemingly oblivious, "The government is getting bettered. Suzaku- er, Prince Suzaku, that is, is a good man. He's really dedicated to making life better here. And my brother too, he's also a good man. They can help make this… better."

_It would be better if you all would just die_, Shirley thought poisonously.

"I hope they can," she said instead, "This place… it could use help."

"We can do it," Kouzuki insisted, releasing her hand.

Shirley paused, and, deciding to take a gamble, ventured a quiet question. "Are you going to start by crushing the rebellion?"

It was a potent question to anyone in the government who talked about 'change', challenging them on the hypocrisy of wanting to 'help' while killing the men and women who were only fighting for the freedom and dignity of their nation.

Kouzuki did hesitate before speaking, and Shirley felt a flush of triumph.

_Just like all the rest. _

"I have no choice," Kallen admitted, her gaze fixed to the floor as her mouth twisted into a sad little smile, a response that actually shocked Shirley. "I'm still a member of the Empire. I understand the feelings of those rebels, and I sympathize- I really do. But fighting the Empire is only going to cause more and more bloodshed, rather than any real change."

"Is that so?" Shirley said quietly, also looking down now. "You think it's pointless then, to fight?"

"I have to believe that the system can change from the inside," came the quiet, but firmly determined reply. "There are good people on both sides. If they could work together, instead of fighting… things could be better. I was born a Japanese noble, I became one of the Swords of the Empire. These are things I want to believe I was given so I could help make the Empire something… good."

_She sounds like_ him, Shirley thought, and Lelouch's face briefly crossed her mind before she squelched it.

After a few moments of strange, almost awkward silence, Shirley decided enough was enough and to bring back her cover, to douse any kind of suspicion that might be brewing inside Kouzuki Kallen's mind.

"You're amazing, Kallen-sama," Shirley said flatteringly. "I could never dream of doing such amazing things like wanting to change the Empire."

"But you can help change it," Kouzuki assured her, glancing up at her. "Change is something we all make happen, not just one person."

"Then I'll do my best to help you," Shirley said cheerily, while inside, she already knew deep in her gut that Kouzuki Kallen was someone she would fight someday soon on the battlefield.

_You're wrong,_ she thought darkly. _But I don't care about change, or freedom, or any of that stuff anyways. All I want… is to make you people pay for what you did to my father. _

_ And if I run into you on the battlefield… I won't hesitate to pull the trigger and end that stupid little dream of yours. _

00000

"So why'd you lie?"

Lelouch blinked, and turned towards C.C.. They were on their way home, and had been walking for several minutes in companionable silence before now.

She crossed her arms behind her head, a distinctly unamused smile on her face as she continued. "It's not like you to lie for such a small reason as meeting a girl. After all, you even avoided lying about your involvement in the battle in the Underground," she continued, as though he hadn't spoken. "So I'm curious why you felt it prudent to lie to both me, that Fenette girl, and even Jeremiah."

Lelouch stubbornly looked away. "It wasn't my secret to tell. I gave her my word I wouldn't tell people about it."

"How honorable of you," C.C. chuckled.

He glanced back at her. "You really went here to find me just to ask me that question? Now who's acting odd?"

C.C. stared back with a blank look. "You haven't used it yet," she said in lieu of an actual reply, her voice low enough not to be overheard.

"Used what?" Lelouch said, blinking in confusion.

"Geass," she murmured softly.

Lelouch stiffened, his face marred by a deep frown. "I wasn't aware I was supposed to be utilizing that power as often as I wished," he countered, sounding irritated.

"You know that's not what I meant," she shot back, narrowing her eyes.

Lelouch nodded reluctantly. "Me lying to you about this means I may not tell you if I begin using this power," he guessed, sighing. "And in doing so, endanger myself in ways I suppose you wouldn't approve of."

C.C. said nothing.

"Look, you don't have to keep looking over my shoulder, C.C.," Lelouch muttered stubbornly. "I can handle myself."

"Maybe," C.C. allowed, "But you and I both know that sooner or later, you will be compelled to do something, to act and use the power of Geass. There's a part of you that just won't be satisfied otherwise. And once that happens… someone will get hurt by what you do. And you won't be able to forgive yourself."

And to that, Lelouch had no reply, no rebuff. For all her teasing, all her constantly making him seem like he was still the helpless child she met seven years ago, she still knew him sometimes better than he knew himself.

"I'll tell you," Lelouch said quietly, at long last, "When that day comes. I'll tell you that I've made my decision."

"That's a start, I suppose," she said, sounding resigned as she pulled ahead of him. "I guess I can't ask for much more from someone like you."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Lelouch demanded, though his voice had a playful note to it as he fell in step with her down the street.

"It means what it means," C.C. said whimsically, a secretive smile on her face.

"Damn witch," he muttered, as they turned a corner, the Orange Bakery in sight now.

"Now, now, is that any way to talk to a lady?" she chided playfully, offering him a beaming smile meant to infuriate.

"If I saw a lady…" Lelouch's voice broke off into a strangled yelp, followed by a pained, startled exclamation of "Did you just kick me in the shin?"

"Want me to kiss it and make it better?" she offered teasingly.

"Oh shut up," Lelouch muttered irritably, though the corners of his mouth were also turned up in what were the vaguest traces of a smile. Their exchange ended as they entered the bakery through the back door. Most school days Jeremiah tended to put the shop on a short break when they arrived home, in order to prepare dinner.

True to form, Jeremiah was setting down a plate of snacks, as they walked in, and he greeted them with a bow.

"C.C.-san, Lelouch-sama, welcome home," the knight said pleasantly.

"Jeremiah," Lelouch acknowledged, smiling as he took a seat at the table, placing his jacket on the chair.

C.C. nodded in greeting as well, but moved towards the stairs. "Remember your promise, boya," she reminded him as she strolled up the stairs leisurely. "I'll hold you to that."

Jeremiah cast him a questioning look as C.C. made her way up to her room, and Lelouch could only shrug.

"Why are women so damn confusing, Jeremiah?" Lelouch asked despairingly, shaking his head. Suzaku knew how to deal with them, after all. They shouldn't be this… taxing.

Jeremiah barked out a laugh, shaking his head with a smile that could best be described as nostalgic.

"Oh, my lord… I'd almost forgotten you'd reach this age," he said slowly, voice full of mirth as he took the chair opposite to Lelouch. "To think you'd worry about girls now…"

Lelouch scowled.

Jeremiah, sensing his master wasn't pleased at being the object of mirth, quickly added, "I'm afraid it's the job of women to confuse men, my lord. It might be part of the reason why they fascinate us so much."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Jeremiah, if I wanted to hear that kind of cliché I would have asked a fortune teller or watched a bad romantic movie."

"Nevertheless," Jeremiah insisted, smiling as though he knew a secret, "As a man with a few more years under his belt than you, my lord, I can assure you that the mystery makes things… interesting."

"Really," Lelouch said disbelievingly, "All it does is give me a headache."

00000

The week following Kallen's arrival and subsequent enrollment in school had passed by quickly, if fairly mundanely, to Suzaku's eyes. He and Kallen had begun speaking more normally as of late, though there was still a tinge of awkwardness from the intensity of their argument lingering in the air.

With Naoto here, running the government became much easier, as Naoto seemed eager to handle most of the governance personally- though unlike Kusakabe, who did the same, Naoto would always run the most important decisions by Suzaku and make daily reports.

Today, however, Suzaku had been called to a meeting, one that Naoto had made private to just himself, Suzaku, and a few others. It made Suzaku curious, and he had stopped by his desk just before the meeting to see if there were any reports requiring his attention, which might also be the subject of the meeting.

There was of course, nothing, and now he was at the doors of the large meeting room. The very first thing he saw, as he always did- as _everyone_ did- was the large banner inscribed with the kanji for _Tenchuu_, Heavenly Justice, and above it, the symbol of the Chrysanthemum Throne, the same symbol that Suzaku bore on the formal kimono he wore to meetings. It was a combination of symbols that was placed everywhere in the Empire- a reminder that the justice of heaven descended from the Chrysanthemum Throne, and nowhere else.

His stomach turned at the sight, and he looked away. The only occupants of the room were Naoto and his aide, Sancia, who were bowing deeply in greeting, as befitting custom.

He greeted them with a short, shallow bow of his own, before taking a seat.

"Now that you're here, Suzaku-sama," Naoto said quietly, and pressed a button. The large viewscreen opposite of the banner flickered on, and the smiling, toothy grin of Kirihara Taizou appeared.

"Kirihara-san," Suzaku acknowledged tersely.

"Ah, Suzaku-sama, Naoto-kun. Good morning," Kirihara said slowly.

"Good morning, Kirihara-sama," Naoto greeted.

"Well, I suppose we had best get started," Kirihara began, when Suzaku spoke up.

"Forgive me, Kirihara-san, but I'm afraid I wasn't told the reason behind this meeting," Suzaku interrupted, drawing all eyes to him. "Would someone mind explaining the necessity of such secrecy, and, of course, the presence of the Chief Minister, to me?"

"Of course. My apologies, Suzaku-sama," Naoto said quickly, bowing his head. "I wanted to act quickly, and I was hoping to make this meeting as discreet as possible. The reason I requested your presence, my prince, was to authorize a military strike against a suspected stronghold of the Brittanian rebellion. Kirihara-sama asked to be informed about our progress against the rebels, and I notified him."

"A military strike?" Suzaku blinked. "So soon? You've barely been here a week."

"I'm afraid my predecessor was… sloppy in regards to his investigations into the rebellion," Naoto said delicately. "In addition, with so much activity, the rebels are becoming much easier to find."

"Also," Kirihara cut in, smiling wider, "Acting swiftly is why we elected Naoto-kun to be your new Chief of Staff. We need to show these rebel dogs our strength, and remind them of why fighting against our Sacred Empire is utterly futile. A decisive move such as this is perfect for our needs."

"I still think it's a little too hasty…" Suzaku began, knowing that with the full force of the Japanese military bearing down on the rebels, they stood little chance of success.

"With respect, my prince," Naoto interrupted quietly. "There is one more reason I want to strike. That golden Knightmare Frame, the one that destroyed much of Kusakabe's division and is suspected of killing the Colonel himself, has yet to reappear again. If it is some new weapon of the rebellion, a battle such as this is perfect bait to draw it out."

Suzaku stiffened, and prayed his expression didn't betray him.

They were trying to lure _him_ out. His actions with the _Caliburn_ were not out of the government's mind yet, apparently.

Immediately, he felt guilty at such a cowardly thought. The _Caliburn_ was his power, a power he wanted to use to force the world to change, to bring justice to the Empire. Of course there would be consequences.

"What about Kallen?" he asked quietly, trying to change the topic. "Are you sending her too?"

Naoto paused, but before he could speak, Kirihara once again stepped in.

"I would like to suggest she accompany the strike force," Kirihara said slowly, though everyone in the room knew it was no mere 'suggestion'. "Having the presence of one of the _Shichitennou_ shows that the Emperor himself is no longer amused by the games of these rebels. In addition, should this… '_Kinma_'," he scoffed, "Appear, I am sure that young Kallen is more than up to the task of dealing with this so called devil."

"Understood," Naoto said stiffly, his face making it clear he hadn't wanted to involve his sister in this battle.

Suzaku understood the other reason now of why Naoto had made this meeting so sudden and so secretive. He had been trying to keep Kallen's hands clean of the blood of her fellow Brittanians, if only for a little while.

Suzaku felt a pang of sympathy, but then the thought of this battle being an intentional lure for him- that so many Brittanians were about to die as a consequence of his actions- quickly smothered the sentiment beneath a wave of guilt.

"If there are no more matters to discuss," Kirihara murmured, smiling yet again, "I will leave you to planning the battle, Naoto-kun. I know you will serve the Empire well."

The viewscreen went black, and Naoto stood, looking tired.

"Naoto-san…" Suzaku began hesitantly. "Are you sure we should be doing this? Killing rebels, when the streets are still flooded with drugs and crime? I've read the reports- things are getting worse and worse out there, and we're about to add fuel to the fire. Don't you care at all?"

Naoto gave him a cold stare, and Suzaku immediately regretted his hasty words.

"I do as I am bid, Suzaku-sama," he said tonelessly. "The Empire is still our home, and we all do what we have to do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a war to fight."

He executed a perfect formal bow, and departed, leaving Suzaku sitting where he was.

"Damn it…" he whispered, clenching his fist so tight his fingernails left deep furrows against the skin. His eyes were once again drawn to the kanji of Tenchuu, the symbol of the Empire's irresistible, unstoppable might.

A force that would be descending upon people like Gino later today, one that would slaughter them all.

Because of him.

_What the hell should I do now,_ Suzaku thought to himself bitterly.

Author's Notes

Another fairly quick update, for me anyways. Next chapter will probably be much longer, and thus take longer (not to mention the fact that I got into the Starcraft II beta, which may stop all writing completely for a while).

I had to double check with history and my own personal canon for I Heard The World to see if Charles Dicken's writing _A Tale of Two Cities _was even feasible, since it requires the existence of a French Revolution. But I remembered Napoleon existed in this canon, and so therefore the revolution had to exist. The choice of books Kewell was reading, btw, was not random, and the themes will pop up again later.


	8. Chapter 7: Between Heaven and Earth

_Henri Ducard: "A vigilante is just a man lost in the scramble for his own gratification. He can be destroyed, or locked up. But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely." _

_Bruce Wayne: "Which is?" _

_Henri Ducard: "A legend, Mr. Wayne."_

- Batman Begins

Chapter 7

Between Heaven And Earth

"You've adjusted fairly well to our academy, Kallen-san," Lelouch commented. The two of them were standing just outside the classroom, during a short break the teacher had allowed the class. It was the first time they had gotten a real moment to speak since she had arrived at the academy.

Is that right?" Kallen blinked, looking surprised.

"You haven't noticed?" Lelouch said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "The girls in the class all flock to you. And I hear you've been trying out a number of clubs- the Kendo club in particular has submitted a rather desperate request for you to join their number. You've become a hit."

Kallen looked flustered at the analysis of her activities over the last week, and stubbornly replied, "I've just been trying to live like a normal student, that's all."

"Normal students don't usually defeat the Kendo club captain in a match on their first day." Lelouch chuckled. "But it's nice to hear you're growing attached to the Academy."

"It's nice here," Kallen acknowledged, smiling softly. "This Academy… it's special, isn't it?"

"Tensions here between Brittanians and the Japanese are much smoother," Lelouch answered, nodding.

"Smoother, huh?" Kallen suddenly remembered the girl she met before, Shirley Fenette. Her father had been killed by the Empire. Could she ever forgive them for that?

"What's wrong?" Lelouch asked, glancing over at her and seeing her conflicted expression.

"It's nothing," Kallen said quickly, shaking her head. "There are still people here who have been hurt by the Empire. Those are the people who this Academy is trying to help, aren't they?"

"War orphans and other special cases have scholarships to the Academy," Lelouch replied, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms, absently glancing out the window as he did so.

"I met a girl here whose father had been killed after the war, during those Bloody Sunday riots," Kallen murmured sadly, placing her arms on the windowsill as she too stared out the window, feeling the crisp, chill breeze against her face. Autumn was here. "Her story… there are so many like it, aren't there?"

"Yes," Lelouch acknowledged, his own tone withdrawn.

"She seemed so… angry. I didn't know what to say, except to try and believe in what I've been doing all this time… what I think this Academy is also trying to do," Kallen said helplessly. "I just hope it will be enough."

"Angry?" Lelouch blinked, straightening. "Kallen-san, what's her name-"

His question was cut off by a sudden ringing, and Kallen was distracted from answering as she pulled out her cellphone.

"Yes?" she answered, putting her hand over her mouth to keep her voice down. "Brother? What is it?"

There was a hasty murmuring, and Kallen's eyes widened.

"Understood," she said quietly, her tone now clipped and professional. She had straightened, her posture taking a subtle, but noticeable change in demeanor.

The posture of a soldier.

"I'll meet you outside in ten minutes then," Kallen murmured, and shut the phone, spinning on her heel in the same movement and marching back towards the classroom.

"What was that all about?" Lelouch asked her, falling in behind her.

"… a battle," Kallen said quietly, and the look on her face made it clear that he was not to ask any more questions.

Not that he wanted to anymore. He had fallen behind now, his expression looking as though he had been struck. A battle. More bloodshed and more death.

_ Why can't this cycle ever end,_ Lelouch thought helplessly, as he turned away.

The expression on Kallen's face lingered in his mind. She too, wanted nothing to do with this battle, but it was her duty, and she was not going to run.

_What about me_, Lelouch wondered. _What is my duty, and to whom? _

Unconsciously, his mind drifted back to when he took command of the Japanese forces in the Underground, on that day he received the Geass. Those were his powers- strategic ability and the power of Geass.

He had turned them once against his own countrymen, in an effort to save his best friend.

Using power always had consequences. But wasn't _not_ using that same power just as bad?

Lelouch clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in frustration, because he knew that no answer he could come up with would make this any easier.

"What's with you?" C.C. asked, sauntering up to him from the side with an inquisitive look.

"I need to get out of here for a little while," Lelouch said brusquely, turning away from her and heading towards the entrance, frustrated fingers working at the tie around his neck as though it were a collar, all the while trying to ignore the turmoil that now swirled around his mind.

00000

C.C. looked as though she wanted to go after him, opening her mouth and taking a step forward with a hand reaching forward, when she froze, letting her outstretched hand fall.

"I can't help him here, can I?" she murmured to herself. "I can't give him the answers he needs."

She paused, her ears twitching as though a silent voice was speaking to her.

"I know what you would want him to do," C.C. said, her tone taking on an edge, "But you are not me. My contract is with him, now. I watch over him… I will not force him to make a choice he is not ready to make."

She turned away abruptly, as if the movement would allow her to ignore the speaker.

"I know he's not my son, or my lover, or anything like that to me," she hissed, voice barely above a whisper. "But he is my partner now… and sometimes I believe I care for him far more than you ever could."

C.C.'s expression flickered, her normal mask of almost statuesque indifference cracking as though hearing a particularly stinging response.

"What happened that day hurt him more than it hurt you, I would think," she said slowly, her tone one of cold fury, "I'm the one who had to forge him from the shattered child you left behind, after all."

And with that, she stalked away, and whatever unseen, silent other she had been speaking to seemed to have been banished from her mind.

0000

And at the opposite corner of the hallway, nearby where Kallen and Lelouch had been speaking, a redhead was quickly making her way out of the building as well, through a side exit with speed that belied her cover story of a sickly, anemic girl.

Shirley punched in a number into her cellphone with all the haste she could muster, impatiently tapping her foot against the grass as she waited for an answer.

As soon as the phone clicked, Shirley spoke, not even bothering with the ridiculous passcode this time.

"There's going to be a battle," she said hurriedly. "Kouzuki's been called in- they're finally making their move."

There was a few moments pause as Gino took the information in.

"… we just don't get a break, do we?" Gino asked rhetorically, with a groan. "And I just got through putting us on standby. Get on over here then, and grab Rivalz on your way out. I'll call the higher ups, let 'em know, but chances are we're gonna need to go there ourselves to get the info out faster. Did you get a location?"

"No," Shirley admitted, "But it can't be too far if they're mobilizing on such short notice."

"Damn," Gino swore. "And here I was about to enjoy some nice reading and a few biscuits I pilfered from Kewell's pantry without him noticing."

"Some other time, boss," she quipped.

"Hmph. I guess you're right," he admitted, and despite the grimness of the situation, his voice took on that familiar bravado she knew him to be rather infamous for. "Then let's go and get to work, shall we?"

00000

Lelouch walked for what felt like an eternity, just drifting through the city without a thought for where he was going, narrowly avoiding strangers at the last moment almost drunkenly.

It was only as the texture of the ground beneath his feet began to change that Lelouch realized he had unconsciously come to the park he and Suzaku spent so many hours talking before any of this had ever happened.

Today, it was nearly deserted, with the overcast sky obscuring most of the sunlight, leaving the world seemingly gray and murky. Fall was here, and the leaves were beginning to turn.

His lips twitched, as if trying to form a smile. With a lighter expression than before, he made his way through the park with practiced ease, heading unerringly towards their usual spot.

Somehow, he was unsurprised to see Suzaku's still form in the clearing where they tended to meet, though Suzaku clearly was as he sat up, eyes widening as Lelouch made his way towards him.

"Lelouch?" Suzaku blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same thing of you," Lelouch said, a hint of mirth in his tone as he stood over Suzaku, hands in his pockets.

"… I needed to think," was the subdued answer, and Suzaku's face looked as conflicted and torn as Lelouch had ever seen.

Somehow, without hearing any more, Lelouch's intuition drew forth an answer. "The battle today, right?"

Suzaku jerked in surprise. "How did you-"

"Kallen-san mentioned it," Lelouch replied, keeping his tone neutral. "Why is it troubling you so much? There have been battles before."

Suzaku said nothing, his mouth creasing into a thin line.

Lelouch sighed, and took a seat on the grass next to him, folding his knees up, his expression mirroring Suzaku's own. "Who am I kidding. You've felt guilt over each and every one of those battles too… I suppose it's because this time it's someone you actually care for, like Kallen-san, going into battle?"

"… It's similar to that," Suzaku said evasively, and leaned back down into the grass, using his arms as a makeshift headrest. "I just… don't know to do anymore. It seems like everyone has a side, something they believe in… and I don't."

"I don't either," Lelouch said quietly, flicking his glance up at the sky with an expression of supreme discontentment. "When Kallen-san told me there was a battle today… suddenly it struck me how utterly useless I am in the grand scheme of things."

Suzaku stilled.

"I suppose I needed to clear my head as well," Lelouch continued, gazing back down. His lips twitched in a sardonic smile. "A bit sad, don't you think? That the two of us would be so disturbed by our helplessness?"

"What if you didn't have to be helpless?"

Lelouch blinked at Suzaku's sudden question, and turned towards him, opening his mouth to speak, when the prince continued.

"What if you… you had the power to do something? To change the outcome? To make a difference this time? But using that power… would hurt people? Maybe even people you know?" Suzaku's voice was thick with turmoil, making the words sound choked and forced.

Lelouch blinked, his expression confused, before it turned into one of understanding.

_He wants to start using his political power now,_ Lelouch thought to himself, a touch of fondness in his eyes. _To use the powers he's been given to make things better in the country. Or maybe_

"Hurting others is unavoidable," Lelouch acknowledged, reflecting on his decision to take command of the Japanese military forces. Since that day, his dreams had been troubled by memories of gunsmoke and blood. No… before that even- all the way back to the day everything changed, seven years ago.

"Then what should I _do_?" Suzaku's voice was practically begging now. "I can't just stand by and do nothing."

_Do nothing… like me. _Lelouch's fists clenched in a sudden surge of self-hatred. Suzaku's turmoil reflected his own perfectly.

What was the right path to take, once you held the power to make a difference? For all his talk of stopping those who used power for their own selfish, egotistical versions of justice, Lelouch had done nothing with his own power except stand impotent at the side of a war that was already raging around him.

_I have already sacrificed much,_ Lelouch thought, and for a moment, his hands felt the phantom weight of a gun in them as they shook. _This current Brittania had been bought it in blood, forced into this state by what I have done._ _People like Kallen-san and Suzaku, they are fighting their own battles, in their own way, to make things better for the world, while people like Shirley-san need something to believe in, someone to show them there is something past all the sadness. _

The sun pierced through the autumn clouds, shining bright and clear.

_I've already chosen a side_, he suddenly knew.

"You do what you must," Lelouch said suddenly, and he stood, fists held tight, gazing down at Suzaku with an expression of almost icy conviction. "Sometimes, it's not about you, and whatever regrets or sadness you may bear. Sometimes, it's about something bigger than you."

"But what is it I have to do?" Suzaku insisted, gazing up at him.

"… just using power is not enough," Lelouch murmured, half to himself, the understanding making his eyes look almost feverish. "Power, by itself, is simply a kind of violence… it needs purpose. It needs… direction."

Lelouch turned towards Suzaku, their eyes locking- determination in Lelouch's amethyst orbs, and confusion in Suzaku's emerald ones.

"Changing things needs the will of the people, not just one man wielding power. Something like that is just one will forcing itself upon the world, and is little more than an egotistical, self righteous bully," he continued, a tone of bitterness in his voice. Once again, that phantom weight was back in his hands, and for a moment, he felt ten years old again, and he shook. But then the moment passed, and the conviction he had realized returned to him.

"People don't change easily," Suzaku said quietly, the darkness in his tone mirroring Lelouch's bitterness.

"That's because they don't know the way," Lelouch insisted, his passionate tone like that of flowing water. He remembered the anger in Shirley's eyes, and the brief moments when he felt that his words about cooperation and forgiveness might actually be reaching her. "They need a symbol. Kaguya, for example… her Academy is such a symbol, but it's only a small part of the necessary change. Kallen-san is another such symbol, but again… the people need more."

"They need to be shown what real justice is," Suzaku said suddenly, and the fire in his voice gave Lelouch pause, for it felt very similar to the self-righteous fanatics he had condemned earlier. But that was just Suzaku's way, he thought dismissively.

"Justice? I suppose," Lelouch acknowledged reluctantly, though he himself had little taste for the word- it implied violence, in his mind.

But the distaste faded in the face of a single, unchangeable, overwhelming fact that loomed in Lelouch's mind about symbols.

_I cannot be that symbol. _He had seen the kind of monster that lurked in his own heart, that inner darkness he had spent the past seven years avoiding like a leper.

And his hands were already stained with blood, his sins too great to erase.

No, being the symbol of hope was beyond a sinner like Lelouch Lamperouge. But he could lend his power to those who were not yet tainted.

Suzaku was standing now, next to him, and the turmoil of his expression had finally faded into one of almost grim determination.

Once more, that sense of unease came upon Lelouch at the inferno that had sparked in Suzaku's eyes, an expression he realized he had seen before.

_"I will crush Japan!"_

"Suzaku…" Lelouch began hesitantly.

"They need a symbol," Suzaku repeated quietly. "They need hope, right Lelouch?"

"Y-yes," he answered, nodding, still unable to dismiss that sense of unease. Still Suzaku was his friend, and he trusted him to do the right thing.

"Thank you," Suzaku murmured, and clasped Lelouch's left shoulder in a brotherly gesture, smiling. "Lelouch… you always do know the right thing to say. I don't know what I'd do without you helping me, sometimes."

"Sounds like you're about to leave already," Lelouch noted, smiling as he returned the gesture, his hand on Suzaku's right shoulder.

"You've taught me something… I want to start using that right away," Suzaku insisted, though there was a hesitant note in his voice that gave Lelouch pause.

_I'm being paranoid again._

"Good luck then, my friend," Lelouch murmured, and squeezed Suzaku's shoulder.

"You too," Suzaku replied, squeezing back. "To both of us."

00000

"So, they've taken the bait, Marika?"

The young woman he addressed turned towards him, bowing her head respectfully as he walked inside of the dimly lit room. Held within the room were several open crates containing innumerable liquid vials, and in her hands was a clipboard she was using to keep note of their inventory.

"As you requested, Lord Luciano," Marika reported crisply. She wore a woman's business style blouse and slacks, with the only trace of femininity in her appearance being the small diamond earrings she wore. "I let some of our planted informants let slip the location of one of the Liberation Front's primary bases."

"Good, good," Luciano said cheerfully, clapping his hands in glee. He was dressed in a practical business suit, all dark colors save for the blood red tie he wore, and the long sweeping brown trench coat that swathed over the suit.

"If I may, sir… why are we helping the Japanese?" she asked, keeping her tone as respectful as possible.

"It's not about who we help, Marika, just about keeping a little song and dance for everyone until the real show can get started," he replied with a grin. "Don't worry, we'll be getting our own hands dirty soon enough."

"Understood, sir," Marika acknowledged.

"So, this is the new shipment?" Luciano questioned, peering at the blood red liquid that floated within the vials.

"Yes, it just arrived last night," she responded swiftly, offering him the clipboard, which he waved away. "These are the latest batch, and the data indicates they should have at least three times the potency of the previous version of 'Reaper'."

Luciano whistled appreciatively as he picked up one of the vials, holding it experimentally between his thumb and forefinger, peering inquisitively at the substance contained within.

"It's funny, isn't it? How much damage you can do with just one of these vials," he commented, his tone wry with amusement. "The junkies on the street think it's just an amazing rush, a way to ignore just what kind of a shithole their lives have become."

He chuckled. "If only they knew what we knew."

And with that, he turned aside, pocketing the vial as he did so. "Get these out to the dealers by this afternoon. And get in touch with Madd- I want his shipment in by Thursday."

"Understood, my lord," Marika said quietly, and saluted.

"Thatta girl." Luciano's mouth moved in a mockery of a grin, and he walked off, whistling a jaunty tune.

00000

"Thank you for your patronage," Jeremiah bowed deeply as the last of the morning customers left from behind the counter, smiling widely as he did so.

To be honest, he had only taken up the guise of a bakery owner as a guise to help conceal his master's presence in the area, never really expecting it to be anything more than a cover story. Somehow, though, he'd grown to find a simple pleasure in working with his hands to create something.

Some might have questioned the amount of loyalty one would need to have in order to commit themselves fully to guarding the life of a single member of a royal family that was scattered to the winds. And indeed, at the start of all this, seven years ago, Jeremiah was reluctant to admit that duty was the only thing keeping him with Lelouch and C.C.

But he had watched his master grow in these past seven years, seen the broken boy grow into a man destined to do something great with the world. In a few private moments, Jeremiah admitted he felt an affection for Lelouch more akin to an older brother looking after his much younger sibling more than a knight and his liege lord.

Jeremiah caught a tinkling at the back door, the sound of the door opening and closing gently. Without hesitation, and seeing no customers in or near the bakery, Jeremiah swiftly went to the door and put up a sign that read "Back in Fifteen Minutes" (a sign C.C. often abused when she was manning the counter, on the rare occasions she could be convinced to), and then turned and headed into the back, where the house portion of the building stood.

"Skipping school again, my lord?" Jeremiah asked lightly, though there was a tone of reproach in his voice- Prince or not, no young man should be skimping on his education (of course, Jeremiah was steadfastly ignoring his own days in the military academy).

Lelouch offered him a weak smile as he took a seat at the dining table, looking oddly weary. "I'm sorry about that, Jeremiah, but… right now I don't think I can sit through a day of lectures."

Jeremiah said nothing to that, taking the seat across from the younger man with a questioning expression. "Did something happen?"

Lelouch shook his head. "Not exactly. I… just finally realized where I stand."

"My lord?" Jeremiah blinked, looking confused.

"Tell me, Jeremiah… you know… about…" Lelouch hesitated, and the expression on his face, so full of anguish, let Jeremiah know immediately what he was speaking of.

The incident.

"You know what I did," he finished at last, and his voice was breathless, as though he had just ripped off a particularly painful scab over a wound. "Why do you still follow me?"

"… At first," Jeremiah began, a tone of reluctance in his own voice now, "I did it out of duty to you, as someone who was supposed to guard you on that day in the palace. And, I suppose, also because C.C.-san would not have let me just leave you two alone."

"And now?" Lelouch asked, his tone infinitely patient, as though he were already expecting some sort of crushing judgment.

"You are going to do something truly remarkable for the world someday, Lelouch-sama," Jeremiah said softly, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "I am proud to serve at the feet of such a great man."

Lelouch smiled back at that, and the tiredness on his face seemed to fade, if only slightly. "I'm no great man, Jeremiah. I realized that today- I can't be the symbol of hope this country needs to move towards the future. My sins… they are just too heavy for me to be that kind of paragon."

"No one can fault you for what happened, my lord," Jeremiah began, reaching over with a steady hand to comfort his master, but Lelouch pulled away, shaking his head.

"The state of this country, the oppression, the misery, the sorrow…" Lelouch's fists clenched. "This is my doing. My responsibility. And I know I can never be forgiven for it."

"You were just trying to-" Jeremiah's eyes widened as Lelouch violently cut him off, slamming his fists down on the table in a gesture of agonized frustration.

"I _killed_ them," Lelouch hissed, and even Jeremiah flinched at the venom in his tone.

"I'm dirty, Jeremiah," he said quietly, his anger retreating, giving way to that same tiredness. "A sinner, not a hero. I can't be what the people need right now."

There was a moment's pause, and Lelouch's voice took on a note of strength and conviction that had been lacking.

"What I can do, however… is lend my power to those that can be the heroes this world needs so badly. I can stand on the side I've chosen."

Jeremiah fell silent in the wake of his master's words, struggling to find the right words to say. His master's conviction was obvious, though the dangers this kind of path would incur were many. As a guardian, or even just someone who cared for the wellbeing of this young man, he should argue against it.

But as a knight, Jeremiah knew he had only one course of action, the only thing he would, and could, do.

And at his core, beneath the friendly baker and the watchful guardian, Jeremiah was a knight who believed in loyalty to his master.

"What do you need me to do, my lord?"

Lelouch smiled again. "I'm going to write down a list of materials. Please use whatever contacts you still have to get them, and make sure it can't be traced back to you."

Jeremiah nodded. "I still know a few people who may be willing to help. And you, my lord? What will you do in the meantime?"

"I'm going to think, Jeremiah," Lelouch replied, a trace of humor in his voice. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

00000

"Everyone's gone today," Euphemia said thoughtfully, sighing as she piled on the last of the laundry onto the basket, hefting it up with both arms and carrying it towards Suzaku's rooms.

She had grown… comfortable here. It was nice here, being around Suzaku and Milly, and even the other maids, who were all fairly close and had adopted her as a little sister of sorts. And the busy work of cleaning kept her mind off of more… troubling topics, like her memory.

It was strange, sometimes, to think she had a life before this- that she was a princess, of all things. Sometimes, she wanted so badly to find her other siblings that she almost ran off in search of them alone, though her courage always faltered and a wave of guilt over violating her promise with Suzaku would come over her.

Not that he wasn't a good link to her past- he was. His stories helped her feel connected to her past, seven years ago.

Of course, there was the other thing she tried not to think about- Suzaku said she was reported missing, lost in the invasion. And for seven years, she was just… gone. Whatever happened then must have erased her memory.

_What happened_, she thought desperately. _What…_

"_Hello, little one," came the tenor of a young boy, blonde haired and purple eyed, and a strange mark began to glow on his forehead as he reached towards her- _

"Suzaku-sama?" Milly's voice interrupted her reverie, and Euphemia snapped back to reality, realizing she had stopped at a corner intersection in the mansion, and was now hearing two very familiar voices.

"M-Milly. What are you doing here?" Suzaku's voice sounded… stuttered, almost forcedly cheerful. Euphemia frowned, and peered around the corner, where the two of them were standing.

Milly too, caught the off manner in Suzaku's tone, and called him out on it. "Suzaku-sama, I know that tone. What are you up to… wait a minute, this hallway leads to… You're going to use _it_, aren't you?"

Suzaku looked away, saying nothing.

_It? _Euphemia blinked. _What is… _

"Look, I… need to do this. And I need you to understand that I can never, ever move forward unless I do." Suzaku's voice was a curious mixture of pleading and determination.

For a few moments, Milly was silent, and Euphemia was sure that she would refuse whatever it was Suzaku was asking for understanding about.

"Well, I suppose there's no helping it. I'll have to drive."

_What? _

"What?" Suzaku echoed, sounding as bewildered as Euphemia felt.

"What, you think I'm going to just let you go off on your own this time?" Milly shook her head with a smile. "A maid's job is to look after her master."

"I'm going into a battle, Milly, not a party," Suzaku hissed softly, and Euphemia felt as though she'd been punched in the gut.

_He's… going to fight?_ Euphemia worriedly wrung her hands, and suddenly a vision of Suzaku, bleeding and hurt, came into her mind, and she felt as though she would throw up on the floor.

"I'm not going to fight," Milly assured him, looking as though the idea was ludicrous. "I'm just going to drive you there, fool. And who else knows how to get you and that garish golden monstrosity over to the battlefield without being seen?"

Suzaku's expression struggled for a long time, before, at last, it settled into resigned acceptance. "Fine… let's get moving."

The two of them started down the hallway, and Euphemia hesitated for a moment, before deciding to follow, moving as slowly and quietly as possible to avoid detection, though she had to trail them at a particularly long distance. As they turned the corner, Euphemia quickened her pace, not wanting to lose them-

But as soon as she was around it, there was nothing. Both Milly and Suzaku had utterly vanished.

Euphemia frowned worriedly.

_Please… _she prayed silently, _Please be safe. _

00000

_Fighting Brittanians, huh? This feels… different, somehow_, Kallen thought to herself, an uncomfortable weight settling in her stomach. Before, it was always a clear cut distinction between Us and Them when she fought.

Today, she was fighting people that, if fate had just twisted itself a little bit more, she might have been comrades with.

"Kallen-sama?" Alice moved forward skittishly, her expression one of concern. As Kallen's own personal aide and mechanic, Alice was always at her side just before the beginning of a battle. "You seem nervous. Is something wrong?"

Kallen shook her head, offering her a weak smile. "Nothing, Alice. Just nerves, that's all."

Alice frowned, looking skeptical. "Kallen-sama… you're never nervous before a battle."

At that, she smiled a little wider, a trace of wryness in the smile now. "Thank you, Alice, for calling me out on that. You're right, of course. I suppose it's just different, fighting Brittanians. Don't you feel the same way?"

Alice's expression changed at that, and she turned away, towards the shrouded Knightmare Frame that stood before the two of them. They were currently in the specialized Knightmare Frame transport that was assigned to Kallen, designed to house her own personal machine.

"I've never really known what it's like, being a Brittanian. My parents fled the country when I was younger, moving to Yamato after the Brittanian Empire collapsed. They died soon after, and after that, all I knew was the orphanage until you came, Kallen-sama," Alice answered truthfully. "I don't have enough memories to really call this place a homeland."

"But we still have Brittanian blood in us," Kallen argued quietly. "Doesn't that count for something?"

Alice, sensing her master's troubled mood, tried to speak encouragingly. "The rebels are the ones at fault here, Kallen-sama. You're just following the orders of the Empire."

_Is that really an excuse_, Kallen wondered, but bit down the doubt as a voice came over the loudspeakers.

"Kallen-sama, we've arrived at the staging point."

Kallen let out a slow breath to steady her nerves.

"It's time, then," she murmured quietly.

0000

"The Empire is moving against us? Bah, preposterous. Each of our cells is too well hidden for a direct assault- your girl must obviously have been hearing things."

Gino bit back a groan. He hated dealing with John Calares, the direct overseer of all the independent insurrectionist cells in London area, above even Gino's superiors at Richmond who supplied them with materiel and orders. Unfortunately, he was in charge of this base, and without his orders they couldn't get word to the other cells that there was trouble in the air.

Right now, he was standing in the Brittanian Liberation Front's primary London base in Dartford, a large industrial complex that had long since been abandoned, though it actually sat just outside the Greater London area, outside the main Settlement. Technically only he had the clearance to be here, and bringing his subordinates like Kewell was breaching the protocols set up by the Commander.

Gino stood before Calares' desk, though the man spent more time looking over the papers on his deck than actually paying attention to anything Gino was saying. Other than the two of them, the office was occupied only by Kewell and two of whom Gino assumed were Calares' subordinates. One of them was bespectacled man a few years older than Kewell, the other a grizzled man with a stern look on his face that spoke of a man who had made the military his life.

"Calares, sir…" Gino said slowly, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. "Shirley was spying on Kouzuki Kallen- one of the _Shichitennou_. This information is solid."

"Boy, Kouzuki Kallen is just a slip of a girl, the same as yours," Calares said dismissively. "You and your whole operation are just kids. Why we let you operate independently is beyond me."

Gino frowned. Even for an arrogant ass, Calares was being unusually obstinate- something was off. He glanced over at Calares' subordinates again, trying to feel out what the problem was.

"If the Empire was really attacking us," Calares continued, voice thick with doubt, "We are more than capable of handling assault led by a little girl-"

Whatever else Calares was about to say was lost in a tremendous roar of sound and violence as a massive explosion hit the facility.

00000

"Doors have been breached," Minami announced, turning towards Naoto.

They were standing in the command center section of the _Bishamonten,_ a super-heavy vehicle, bordering on a mobile building, even, that acted as a mobile command and communication center, as well as a mobile Knightmare Transport system. It was heavily armored and armed, and was gaining great popularity in the Empire as a field commander's vehicle of choice.

Kusakabe had never utilized one, being the sort of commander who generally preferred commanding from the back, but it seemed that Naoto's style of warfare demanded he be as close to the front line as proper.

From his chair on the command deck, just one level above where Minami stood amongst several other officers who were monitoring communications and coordinating the attack, Naoto nodded in acknowledgment.

"Very good, Major." He met Minami's eyes with an approving look- although this attack was being carried out by the 75th, Naoto had allowed Minami to stand on the bridge as well, befitting his rank as Major.

It was a nice gesture, one of respect and an offer of unity between their two regiments, and Minami admitted he appreciated the thought.

Turning away, Naoto ordered briskly, "Now then, listen up boys and girls. Kallen will lead _Taiyou _company and take control of sector one and two. _Kaze_ company will sweep sectors four through seven, while_ Umi _and _Hagane_ will hold the perimeter and provide backup until we know those areas are secure."

"Sir… if I may, according to our intelligence, those sectors are the most likely to contain the defenses of this facility," Minami pointed out hesitantly. "Are you sure Kallen-sama can handle this?"

As if in answer, Naoto gestured towards one of the monitors, where Taiyou company was moving in, a swarm of Shinran Knightmares, headed up by a distinctly unique Knightmare Frame, one that had only been constructed two years before but had already become famous throughout the Empire.

"The _Amaterasu,_" Minami breathed, holding his breath in awe. "I never thought I'd actually see it, or indeed any of the Knightmares of the _Shichitennou, _in person."

It was a magnificent machine, worthy of the goddess it was named after. It stood about a foot taller than the average Knightmare Frame, though its body was sleeker, making it seem much more slender, with edges like a beautifully crafted katana, giving a far more life-like visage to the machine than the usual boxy designs that seemed comically primitive in comparison. Its head was much more humanoid than the Shinran's as well, bearing distinctive blue eyes on a white-silver face that bore far more resemblance to a human's than the Shinran. As a finishing touch to the intricate design, a crimson crest stretched out from the front to the back of its head.

The rest of the main body was crimson red, except for a swath of indigo painted on a stripe across the upper torso, circling around an unusual gunmetal hatch over the chest, whose function bewildered Minami. The arms were also gunmetal gray, long and almost serpentine limbs which both ended in three-pronged, wickedly sharp looking claws.

"Impressed, I see," Naoto commented, chuckling lightly, and Minami broke away his stare with embarrassment. "I know my sister seems a bit young, and I would rather not throw her into the line of fire, but… she _is _good at what she does, Major. I'd be more worried about the rebels than I am about her- I've yet to meet anyone who can be a match for her and that machine."

Taking one last look at the screen, Minami couldn't help but agree.

00000

"What are you going to do?"

Suzaku glanced over at Milly, who had her eyes fixed on the road. The two of them were driving through the Underground, with several tunnels that led directly towards Dartford, where the battle was currently taking place.

"Naoto-sama, and Kallen-sama. They'll be there. They'll be your enemies, if you go through with this." Milly's voice was flat and almost coldly toneless, but without judgment.

"I know that," Suzaku said reluctantly, nodding his head. "I won't kill them, if that's what you're asking. But I won't just stand by and do nothing, either."

"You really think you can fight someone like Kallen-sama, one of the _Shichitennou_, and hold back?" Milly clicked her tongue, and her expression took on a rare note of worry. "You might be good, Suzaku-sama, and who knows what that machine of yours is capable of, but Kallen-sama is a soldier who has fought countless battles and everyone knows her Knightmare Frame is the best Kirihara Industries can provide."

"I can do it," Suzaku insisted stubbornly, clenching his fists. "Experience or not… I won't let the Empire take any more lives."

"That kind of attitude is going to put you in a situation you can't fight your way out of someday," Milly said, her tone light but with an overhead of warning, "No matter how lucky or stubborn you are."

"Well, you can say 'I told you so' then, but until that time…" Suzaku grinned. "Just drive."

"Aye aye," Milly responded, shaking her head.

They were silent for a long while, with nothing but the sound of wheels on old, dust ridden gravel.

Finally, after a long while, Milly spoke again.

"So, what are you going to call yourself?"

"Call myself?" Suzaku blinked.

"You know, you need a name, an alias- can't use your real name, obviously, but you can't just go around nameless. People will give you a name, otherwise, and who knows what kind of silly name they'll give you- The Golden Avenger?" Milly exclaimed incredulously, giggling to herself. "If you start acting like a vigilante out for justice, you need a name."

"A name… a symbol," Suzaku murmured quietly, absently stroking his chin, deep in thought. "Something that will give people hope… give what I do… more impact."

"A symbol?" Milly looked confused.

"Lelouch explained it to me a little while ago," Suzaku replied, remembering the conversation in the park just hours ago. "The people need a symbol, something they can believe in. The name… the name will be the key."

"Did Lelouch happen to give you some brainstorming ideas for a name in addition to planting these notions in your head?" Milly questioned, raising a faintly amused eyebrow.

"No," Suzaku admitted softly. "I want it to mean something. To give hope to Brittania, and to send a message to the Empire."

"A message…" Milly tapped a finger against her cheek. "You mean like how the Empire sends a message using the phrase 'Tenchuu'?"

_Tenchuu._ Suzaku stilled, as though suddenly struck by a grand inspiration, and then smiled.

"I think I've got a name."

00000

"Jesus Christ!" Gino swore, picking himself up off the ground. The massive explosion had knocked him, along with everyone else, over as it rocked the building. Quickly, he grabbed his radio, attached to his hip, praying it hadn't been damaged in the fall. "Shirley! What the hell is going on out there!"

"Judging by the sound and force of the blast, they set off several demolition charges to blow open the entrance," came the voice of the grizzled military man in the corner. "Smart- they're avoiding ambush points by simply breaking through the building and establishing their own breaching points."

"They've probably studied the structure of the building, and made sure the demolition charges were shaped and placed where they wouldn't bring down the facility," said the bespectacled man next to him.

_Who are these guys?_ Gino blinked, astonished at the speed and clarity with which the two men had analyzed the situation. Whoever they were, they were not ordinary men.

"Boss!" came Shirley's confused, worried tone. "They hit the building hard- me and the others are falling back What should we do?"

Gino cast a glance over at Calares, who was still wide eyed with shock.

"Calares! Is there another exit?" The man remained silent, as if the whole situation was beyond his comprehension. "Calares! Where the hell is the other exit!"

"It's down underground. An old sewer system that we've remodeled and renovated for our own use. It connects to the railway system near the facility that workers used to use to get here."

The voice came from behind him, and Gino whirled around, not recognizing the voice. However, the face… the face he knew.

"You are-"

"Commander!" Calares blurted out, eyes going as wide as Gino's own. "I… I…"

"Enough," the Commander interrupted. "Your incompetence would be punished severely for not paying heed to Weinberg's warning, if not for the fact that it had come too late to matter anyways. Regardless, now is not the time. Get all your men down into those tunnels immediately, both of you. Arm up as many of them as you can, and get all the Knightmares working in this facility operational now. Destroy any sensitive evidence."

For a moment, Gino simply stood there, in awe. Though the two men (whom he now assumed were the Commander's personal lieutenants) were exceptionally skilled at analyzing, the level of natural command the Commander had established was nothing short of dazzling.

"You're all still standing here."

Gino practically jumped.

00000

Kallen hated to admit it, but the adrenaline rush of battle was something she enjoyed- feeling the thrum of power of the _Amaterasu_ as she plunged into the breathless, terrifying reality of combat. Part of it was the _Amaterasu _herself (Kallen always thought of her Knightmare as a she, rather than a gender neutral it), being such an advanced and powerful Knightmare that made piloting anything else seem pitifully slow and primitive in comparison.

She watched two enemy De Dannan Knightmares, for example, whose movements were simply clunky against her own as they raised their rifles and opened fire on her.

With a shout, she jerked the _Amaterasu_'s controls, dodging the hail of gunfire with ease before plunging forward, her Knightmare's claws wrapped themselves around the heads of both De Dannan's.

"Sorry," Kallen whispered, and hit the triggers, sending a massive surge of energy through the Radiant Wave Surgers installed on both claws and destroying both Knightmares with a blast of microwave radiation.

Her regrets would have to wait, however, as a second squad of Knightmares entered the loading bay, along with a heavy weapon support squad of infantry who were moving along the upper level along a suspended metal walkway, hefting RPGs and aiming them at Kallen and her squad.

"Scatter!" she ordered, pulling on the control yokes just in time to avoid the barrage of rocket propelled grenades that bombarded her recently vacated position.

The rest of her squad broke off, scattering off as far from each other as possible. One unlucky comrade was slower than the others and took several RPGs, destroying his Shinran in seconds.

Working in tandem with the infantry, the enemy De Dannan's now swarmed in to protect the infantry, opening fire with their rifles, filling the air with gunsmoke, catching yet another one of her allies in the crossfire. Kallen herself took a few glancing hits from the enemy's gunfire, but swiftly shifted position behind a gigantic metal rack, shielding her from enemy fire.

Angered at the loss of the members of her squad, Kallen quickly assessed the situation, and then sprang into action, dashing towards the metal walkway with all the speed she could muster.

To their credit, the De Dannan's reacted swiftly, altering their aim in an attempt to compensate for Kallen's sudden movement- however, they were unprepared for the sheer level of speed that the _Amaterasu_ was capable of, and Kallen made it to her destination without incident, and leapt towards the surprised infantry, who were still attempting to reload their weapons.

With a single swipe of her Knightmare's claws, she slashed at the walkway, destroying it and killing several foot soldiers in the bargain before she landed, spinning around to face the enemy squad of Knightmares.

To their credit, they had reacted with the skill and training of professional soldiers, and thus were well prepared to open fire on her even after the loss of their comrades, unleashing a hail of bullets even as her machine hit the ground.

Luckily, the _Amaterasu _had more than just claws. Flipping open a trigger at the top of one of the control yokes, Kallen pressed the small red button concealed within. Instantly, the metal circle in the center of the _Amaterasu_'s chest opened up, and a blinding light, like a second sun, enveloped the room.

This was the real reason the _Amaterasu _had earned the name of the goddess of the sun- its radiance was such that its enemies could do nothing but be struck dumb. The actual phenomenon was created by a series of mirrors which reflected and amplified the sudden, but dramatic burst of light that emanated from the Yggsdril Drive when triggered from the cockpit. It was a system specifically designed to complement Kallen's favored close-quarters style of combat, allowing her to close in with her Radiant Wave Surger claws with ease.

With her enemies now blinded, Kallen darted between them, slashing at the nearest Knightmare Frame, neatly severing the arm holding the rifle before bringing its other claw to bear, shredding the cockpit like a hot knife through butter.

The remaining three Knightmares struggled to regain their bearings, leaving them easy prey. Kallen slammed one claw each through two different Knightmares, triggering the Radiant Wave Surgers again. The final Knightmare managed to raise its weapon just in time for the _Amaterasu_'s claw to wrap around its head, ending the battle with a final burst of energy from its palm.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the skirmish was over, leaving Kallen slightly breathless as a droplet of sweat ran down from her forehead. She wiped it away with the back of her hand as she opened a comm link with the _Bishamonten_.

"This is_ Taiyou_-one. We've breached and secured the loading bay in sector one. Now proceeding to sector two," Kallen reported, still panting slightly from the effort of battle.

"Acknowledged, _Taiyou_-One. Good work," Sancia congratulated smoothly, her tone coolly professional. "_Umi_-Two will move in to hold that position."

"How is everyone else doing?" Kallen asked, as she motioned for the remaining members of her squad to follow her into the building.

"_Kaze _is just reaching sector four. We're awaiting they're report shortly," Sancia replied. "Resistance should be light in that area, however."

"I hope so," Kallen muttered, cutting the link.

00000

"Damn Japanese bastards," Shirley swore, swerving her Knightmare Frame around to sweep the area one more time. She and Rivalz, Gino's elected escorts for his journey to the base here in Dartford, had moved inside the facility in the wake of the assault, and were currently in one of the large manufacturing areas that just barely allowed room for their Knightmares to maneuver in.

This area hadn't been hit yet, like the lower levels which they had just abandoned, but it was only a matter of time.

"Shirley! Are you in your Knightmare Frame?"

"Y-yeah," she replied, startled by Gino's sudden question. "Rivalz is in his too- we were in them before the attack, thankfully."

"Good," Gino said brusquely, and the departure from his usual jocular tone was somewhat jarring for Kallen. Someone had obviously shaken him up good. "Gather up anyone you can find, have them fall back to the lower levels- there's an underground exit that we can use to get out of here. We'll make that the rally point. Once I've got the exact coordinates, I'll have Kewell transmit them to you."

"Lower level, alright," Shirley acknowledged, nodding her head, and repeated the orders to Rivalz.

She had barely finished when the doors burst open and a pair of Shinran Knightmares burst into the room, followed swiftly by several squads of regular foot infantry.

"Shit!" Shirley cursed, "Rivalz, form up! Make us an exit, I'll cover you!"

Even as she was barking out her orders, Shirley had whirled about, raising her De Dannan's assault rifle and loosing an uncontrolled burst of fire on the newly arrived enemy force, not bothering with anything more accurate than a spray in the general direction of the enemy, just wanting to make them duck their heads.

Both Shinran Frames deftly avoided the bullets, taking only minor damage, but a few of the soldiers were caught by the burst and were shredded into red mist within seconds.

The enemy Knightmares moved in an unusual helix formation, firing in synchronized timing as they advanced on her, constantly switching positions left and right to ruin the auto-adjusting targeting system that most Knightmare Frame pilots relied on to correct their aim in the fast-moving weapons platform of a Knightmare.

Shirley, however, was not most pilots, and in fact hadn't used the auto-targeting system since the first time she stepped in a Knightmare Frame, having been taught by Gino not to rely on them. Instead of trying to track one of them, she aimed right for the center of the formation and fired again.

To her dismay, the Shinran Frames simply moved away from each other, letting her bullets fly harmlessly between them.

_These guys are good_, Shirley admitted grudgingly, gritting her teeth. "Rivalz!" she snapped irritably, opening the communications link again. "What's taking you!"

As in answer, an explosion from behind her indicated that Rivalz had finally found a wall suitable to burst through using his Knightmare's assault rifle.

"Door's open, Shirley!" Rivalz called out, maddeningly cheerful even in the middle of battle, a trait he shared with their commander.

"You go on first! There should be some other members of the resistance nearby- get them, let them know we've got incoming and to make it to the rally point underground!" Shirley said briskly, all the while still dodging incoming enemy fire.

"Got it," Rivalz acknowledged, though there was a tone of reluctance in his voice as he left. But Rivalz just wasn't as skilled as Shirley or these two Shinran Frames- having to look after him too would be a potentially fatal distraction.

There was no more time to consider Rivalz's qualms, however, as Shirley dodged behind a large, rusted machine whose purpose had long since been forgotten, using as makeshift cover against the torrent of bullets. She eyed the rest of the room, trying to find something she could use.

_There! _

Leaning her Knightmare just far enough to put its arm out and aim the rifle, she fired off a burst.

As before, the two Knightmare Frames simply dodged by switching places again, advancing with almost contemptuous ease on her position.

Of course, she hadn't been aiming for the Knightmares.

With a tremendous groan, one of the massive steel racks, nearly three times as large and ten times as long as a Knightmare, toppled downwards as several of its lower support beams were destroyed by Shirley's assault rifle, sending it crashing towards the two enemy pilots.

The one closest had no time to dodge and was utterly smashed, while the second took a glancing blow that, if Shirley was any judge, destroyed all functions in one arm and sent it spinning out of control, slamming into a wall with impressive force.

Before it could recover, Shirley delivered a quick coup de grace, blowing the Knightmare apart with a single spray of her assault rifle, ending the melee.

00000

"We just lost contact with_ Kaze-_Three-Two after they had engaged hostiles in sector four," Sancia announced over the communications channel, her voice grim. "All units, be advised, heavy resistance in sectors four through seven, concentrated at the lower levels."

"This is _Taiyou-_One, acknowledged command," Kallen replied, grimacing and bowing her head at the thought of more of her comrades being killed. "We're heading over to sector six."

"Kallen?" Naoto's voice broke through. "Belay that. I need you somewhere else. Let _Umi_ and _Hagane_ handle that- they're trying to escape, not make a pitched battle."

"But brother, they're getting slaughtered out there!" Kallen pleaded, gritting her teeth. "I need to be there."

"You'll save a lot more lives if you do what I say, Kallen," Naoto responded, his tone flat. "Don't worry," he added, his voice gentling, "I'm not sending any more of our people to die. But if I'm right, we're gonna need you in a little bit."

"… Alright. I trust you," Kallen said, a tad reluctantly.

00000

"How much farther, Calares?" the Commander asked, voice smooth and still collected, even as reports continuously came in of their forces being overrun and routed at nearly every sector the facility.

"Not much farther, sir," Calares replied, his nervousness easily detectable even without seeing his face. "We're at the ground level now. Once we reach the tunnel entrance we should be safe."

They were in a convoy of Knightmare Frames now, Gino, the Commander, Calares, the two men who were accompanying the Commander, along with a number of Calares' own Knightmares and a selection of regular footsoldiers who were elected as an escort.

However, where Calares and Gino were using standard De Dannan Knightmare Frames, the Commander and the two men were using customized models, ones that Gino had heard about before.

Though they were built on the De Dannan chassis, these Knightmares, classified as the Sidhe series, had much thicker armor over the shoulder, chest, and face areas, giving the impression of a steel-plate armor wearing knight. The designers obviously realized this, and indeed style the face plate with several slits to evoke that same image. Instead of the usual assault rifle equipment, the Sidhe were armed with large, ornate lances and each possessed a compact sub-machine gun that they could wield in one hand.

Impressive machines, Gino had to say, and ones that had not been in much production even before the war. The Commander was clearly skilled with a Knightmare Frame to operate such a machine.

"Any word from your men, Weinberg?" the Commander questioned.

"No sir," Gino said, deciding to use the honorific after seeing Calares' example. "But they'll be along shortly."

"You have faith in your men," one of the Commander's aides- from the sound of the voice, the bespectacled younger man- noted.

Gino shrugged out of reflex, though he knew they couldn't see him. "They're good people," he said, a tad embarrassed, "I trust them."

"That's good," came the voice of the Commander's other aide, the older, grizzled man. "Faith in your subordinates is a key part of becoming a truly skilled general."

"I suppose," Gino said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head as he searched for something to say. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, however, he was saved from this as a blip appeared on the motion tracker.

"No IFF signal. Could be hostile," the bespectacled man said quickly, as the rest of the convoy tensed. He had barely finished speaking when one of the walls collapsed and a Knightmare unlike any Gino had ever seen before tore through the newly created gap.

At first, Gino could barely see it as anything other than a red blur through the dust and debris. It was only when the leading member of their convoy suddenly exploded in a hail of flame and shrapnel that Gino understood they were under attack.

"That's the _Amaterasu_," he heard Kewell gasp in horror, and Gino's own eyes widened as well.

The _Amaterasu_, the personal machine and weapon of the Seventh Sword of the _Shichitennou,_ responsible for the destruction of the Gibraltar Fortress and an entire company of Einherjar's elite Panzer Blatt units in a skirmish in Pakistan- a Knightmare fast on its way to becoming a legend the likes of which rivaled Marianne the Flash.

_We're in trouble_, Gino thought grimly, raising his rifle and letting loose a hail of gunfire.

With impossible, predatory grace, the _Amaterasu _deftly avoided his attacks, and the hatch on its front opened up. Gino barely had time to wonder at this phenomenon when his world exploded in a burst of blinding white light.

"Shit!" Gino swore, covering his eyes and vainly trying to regain his senses, clawing at the controls of his Knightmare Frame. He tried desperately to bring up the Knightmare's arms to guard himself, but as his vision cleared, he saw the destroyed remains of two Knightmares in front of him, and the _Amaterasu_ was dashing towards him, claw outstretched-

And was suddenly forced to veer off course as the Commander's Sidhe Knightmare Frame came into view, stabbing forward with its spear, which was now spinning ferociously, a low hum filling the room.

Kouzuki Kallen obviously recognized the Commander as a more potent threat, and quickly launched back into action, coming forward in a blur of flashing silver claws.

The Commander's Sidhe pulled back swiftly, bringing its submachine gun to bear and firing off a torrent of bullets, realizing that Kouzuki's Knightmare had a serious edge in the close combat arena.

The _Amaterasu_ pulled back and dodged to the left, then the right, deftly avoiding the barrage with that same unnatural speed and quickness as before, before swiping with a claw again, only narrowly parried by the Commander's spear again.

Gino was forced at that point to tear his eyes away from the battle, as new contacts on his motion tracker came into view.

"We've got more incoming!" Gino called out, whirling around just in time to see a squad of Shinran Knightmares come through the gap Kouzuki had created, unleashing a torrent of gunfire as they breached, slaying a few of the men on foot and even destroying a De Dannan. "Kewell!"

"On it, my lord," Kewell replied, steadying his own aim and firing in unison with Gino.

To their credit, the rest of the convoy's De Dannan Knightmares reacted almost as swiftly, even as one of their own fell, firing at the gap to force the enemy machines back. Meanwhile, the two remaining Sidhe Knightmares moved to flank Kouzuki Kallen, intending to relieve the pressure on the Commander, spears flashing.

Kouzuki moved swiftly, parrying both spears with a single swipe, pivoting and lunging forward with her other bladed claw at one of the Sidhe, who barely managed to pull back and raise its gun and firing off a short burst.

The _Amaterasu_ pushed through the gunfire, its armor deflecting the bullets with casual ease as it moved in with its other claw, taking hold of the arm of the Sidhe Knightmare. In an instant, a flash of crimson light erupted from the palm of the machine, and the Sidhe's arm twisted and melted.

"Shit!" Gino heard, and at the last second, before the light reached up the arm of the Knightmare, it suddenly exploded.

_He blew off his Knightmare's arm to keep from being destroyed?_ Gino was impressed.

However, the act obviously left the pilot disoriented, and with a single, almost contemptuously casual kick, the _Amaterasu_ sent the Sidhe flying away, leaving Kouzuki free to deal with the remaining two.

"Guilford!" the Commander shouted, even as they closed the distance to continue the battle.

"I'm alright, Commander," the man, Guilford, said, though he sounded utterly exhausted. "Don't mind me."

"Darlton! Cover him! I'll handle this!"

The other Sidhe moved as the Commander bid, leaving the Commander alone with Kouzuki yet again.

Once more, Gino's attention was forced away from the battle, as a second wave of Shinran's poured on through, relieving the first wave which had nearly been decimated in the battle.

Luckily, the Empire's soldiers weren't having it all their way, as most of the initial Knightmares which had broken through the gap went down in a hail of gunfire from the beleaguered rebels. Gino himself shot down the first Shinran, and then was forced back behind a corner as their numbers became too great to compensate for.

"Damn," he swore again, swerving away and narrowly avoiding a bullet-ridden death.

They'd been outmaneuvered- with so many enemy forces cutting off their escape route, they would either have to disengage and try an alternate route, or attempt a near suicidal breakthrough.

To make matters worse, the Commander was being steadily outmatched by Kouzuki, which was driven home in a particularly disheartening moment when the _Amaterasu_ smashed aside the Commander's spear, sending it crashing away, leaving the Sidhe defenseless.

"Commander!" Guilford yelled, and his own damaged Knightmare struggled to return to his feet.

Gino himself wanted to move over and help, but even as all this happened, the enemy Knightmares had closed the gap, leaving Gino with no choice but to engage the enemy in close quarters, denying the possibility of supporting his commanding officer.

"Where the hell is everyone else!" Gino snapped frustratedly. The Commander's orders had been for all available units to retreat down into these tunnels, but thus far they had only seen their own small party and little else.

As if on cue, a sudden hail of gunfire came tearing through the tunnel, and for a moment, Gino wondered if he was about to die, before he realized that the gunfire was actually coming from _behind_ their lines.

"Sorry we're late boss!" Shirley chirped, as her De Dannan came into view, blowing away two Shinran Knightmares in a spray of lead. Behind, what must have been Rivalz and two other De Dannan's came into view, adding their firepower to the fight.

Gino felt a wave of relief come over him, until he chanced a glance back over at the Commander, just in time to see the Commander's Sidhe falling back, a massive gouge in its chest that was leaking liquid Sakuradite like a flow of blood. The lights on the Commander's Knightmare began to flicker as the remaining available power dwindled.

What's more, Gino realized, as he turned back to the main fight, for every Shinran downed, more seemed ready to join the fight in a seemingly numberless wave of machines.

"Shirley!" he barked, calling her attention to him. "Take care of Kouzuki! Rivalz and the rest, form up behind me! We've got to push them out of here!"

"On it!" Rivalz and Shirley both responded, nearly in unison, splitting into their separate groups. Gino felt a grin tugging on the edges of his lips- his soldiers were good, definitely. With them around again, he suddenly felt a hell of a lot better.

00000

Shirley felt a flutter in her stomach as she spotted the unmistakably unique and deadly form of the _Amaterasu_, Kouzuki's personal Knightmare. Since she decided the other day that one day they would face each other in battle, Shirley had done her homework, and recognized the weapon immediately.

With a cry, Shirley plunged straight in- with Kouzuki engaged in close combat with the unusual De Dannan variant Knightmare, which Shirley vaguely recalled being termed a Sidhe-class, using her rifle was more likely to create friendly fire incident than anything else. Instead, she struck out with her Stun Tonfas, forcing Kouzuki to back off.

As if waiting for this relief, the De Dannan variant stumbled to one knee and went utterly dark.

That was all Shirley had time to see, however, before Kouzuki closed the gap between them in a blur of edged silver metal.

With the cards of maneuverability, speed, and power in her favor, Kouzuki and the _Amaterasu_ were definitely at an overwhelming advantage. But Shirley wasn't about to quit just yet.

Instead of pulling back as Kouzuki no doubt expected, Shirley instead moved _into_ the attack, deftly avoiding a swipe that put the_ Amaterasu_ in a completely open position. With a shout, Shirley slammed both her Stun Tonfa's into the _Amaterasu_'s chest, sending it crashing backwards.

Kouzuki was shocked, Shirley guessed, given the slower than normal reaction as the Amaterasu returned to its feet. Landing a hit like that was lucky, Shirley knew, but now that Kouzuki was aware of her skill she wasn't going to get another.

The signature hatch on the front of the_ Amaterasu_ opened, and Shirley quickly remembered this as one of Kouzuki's most devastating weapons. Acting fast, Shirley opened fire, just in time for the bright flash to erupt from the hatch and overwhelm all of her senses.

00000

_Gotcha_, Kallen thought determinedly, setting her teeth in a determined grit as she plunged the _Amaterasu _toward the De Dannan, ready to finish off this latest opponent in the wake of the signature blast of light that defined her Knightmare. It was surprising, to have someone land a hit like that on her, and reminded her that the battlefield was an unpredictable place.

The pilot's reactions were good, she had to admit, and the sound of gunfire just as Kallen triggered the hatch at the front of her Knightmare made it clear that the pilot had known what she could do and tried to counter.

_Good try,_ Kallen complimented, as her claws reached out through the dust-

_Dust? _

-and hit only empty air.

Kallen's eyes widened, and she spun around, just in time to see that De Dannan open fire at her from point blank range. It was only by swinging around her free claw arm and activating the Radiant Wave Surger implanted in the palm that she avoided taking the brunt of the damage, burning away most of the bullets save for a few that impacted her in places the shield couldn't stretch far enough to stop.

"The bastard used his gun to knock up a dust cloud to shield their sensors," Kallen muttered in wonderment. "Not bad."

It had been a while since she faced a skilled opponent, and one that this time obviously knew what she and the _Amaterasu_ were capable of.

Kallen switched tactics at that point- after all, if she was the type who only relied on the _Amaterasu_'s inherent powers to win, she wouldn't be worthy of the title Seventh Sword.

Letting the shield drop, Kallen swiftly had her Knightmare drop low, ruining her opponent's aim, and then placed on of the claws on the ground. A single blast from the Radiant Wave Surger sent the _Amaterasu _forward in a blur of motion, one that far exceeded any reactionary speed a Knightmare like a De Dannan was capable of.

To their credit, whoever was piloting that Knightmare reacted beautifully, firing off Slash Harkens as a response, but Kallen had fought countless battles up to this point, and simply smashed the weapons aside using her momentum, before slashing with a claw, shredding the De Dannan's assault rifle and severing part of the Stun Tonfa before her opponent was able to pull back.

"Just give up," Kallen urged softly, though she knew logically her opponent couldn't hear her. With that kind of damage to the weapon systems, they had no chance now.

And indeed, instead of lying down and surrendering, the pilot instead lunged at her in a last stand suicide charge.

Feeling a wave of pity for her opponent, Kallen nonetheless made herself resolute as she struck a fatal blow towards her opponent, who brought up their damaged arm to shield themselves.

Instead of slicing straight through, however, Kallen's attack was repelled as the De Dannan's damaged arm was blown clear off, sending it crashing into the Amaterasu's chest, sending her attack swiping harmlessly at air thanks to being knocked off balance.

Kallen's eyes widened as the De Dannan reached out with its remaining arm, and plucked a spear off from the ground- the same spear Kallen had stripped away from the Sidhe Knightmare Frame she had fought earlier.

She barely had time to shift slightly before the De Dannan rushed forward, stabbing the spear at her, slicing a line across the face of the_ Amaterasu_ before Kallen was able to grab the haft with her claw.

If not for her machine's superior specs, Kallen had to admit, she would probably have taken a serious hit. With a grim look of respect, Kallen triggered the Radiant Wave Surger again, destroying the spear and blowing away the arm of the De Dannan in the process, sending it crashing back, unmoving into the dirt, now rendered practically useless.

Still holding that feeling of respect, Kallen switched on the external speakers. "Pilot," she said slowly, "Give up. You're beaten- if you surrender now you and your allies might receive leniency."

"Go to hell, traitor," came the hissed, hate filled reply.

Kallen sighed, and felt a twinge of pain at those words. Was she a traitor?

She was Japanese… but then again, in a single turn of fate she could be the one in the De Dannan, staring down death.

"Then I will grant you a quick death," Kallen said reluctantly, and lunged forward, claw outstretched-

When a massive longsword deflected her attack with almost contemptuous ease, and suddenly Kallen was face to face with the infamous golden Knightmare that they had staged this entire attack to bait.

00000

"GIGA! DRILL! BREA-"

Suddenly, the epically triumphant music backing the yelling of the young boy on the television was replaced by the dull, familiar jingle of the news.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you a breaking news story that has just been released," came the sudden, almost harried voice of the newscaster, and Lelouch, without even meaning to, looked up from his laptop in curiosity.

He had left the television on in his room to provide him with background noise as he worked, doing his 'thinking' just as he told Jeremiah he would. Already, maps of London and the whole of Brittania, alongside a slew of reports of various government agencies had been printed out and were littering his desk.

"In a statement just released to us from the provincial government, by Chief of Staff Commander Kouzuki Naoto, the Imperial Army has just moved against a suspected terrorist compound. We go now live to Diethard Ried, our reporter in the field."

The screen changed from the almost idyllic background of the station studio to an older man with dirty blond long hair in a smooth, iron-pressed business suit.

"This is Diethard Ried live at a factory in Dartford, where Chief of Staff Kouzuki Naoto has just launched an all-out offensive against a group of rebels who had taken refuge in this facility," Diethard reported calmly.

"So this is the battle Kallen-san talked about, hmm?" Lelouch said slowly, tapping his finger against his cheek as he pondered the situation. Idly, he picked up the remote and turned up the volume.

"Led by his sister, Kouzuki Kallen, the Seventh Sword of the _Shichitennou_, this attack marks the first of counterattacks that the Empire has promised to deliver against the Brittanian terrorists who have plagued this country," Diethard continued, and now turned towards the factory. "The fighting has been going on for over two hours now…"

"Hmm, so this is what got you all hot and bothered?"

Lelouch turned around in his chair to see C.C. standing in his doorway, hands clasped behind her back, peering quizzically at the television, as the words became indistinct background noise.

"I'm surprised you didn't run off and try to join the battle," she commented lightly, stepping into the room casually.

"I didn't know where it was," Lelouch said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "What happened in the Underground a few weeks ago was circumstantial."

"And yet from the looks of those papers on your desk, you're going to get yourself involved anyhow," C.C. responded cuttingly, raising an eyebrow.

Lelouch had the grace to blush, stubbornly looking away. "I…"

"There's no need to say anything else," C.C. said softly, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Lelouch looked up at her, almost bewildered. "Did something happen?" he asked curiously. "You seem…"

"What, now you're curious about my state?" C.C. asked, her tone of exaggerated surprise annoying Lelouch as she removed her hand from his shoulder, placing both hands behind her back again as she spun around, glancing at him over her shoulder coyly. "Why Lelouch, and here I thought you'd forgotten all about me, with your new girls taking up so much of your attention…"

"Knock it off," Lelouch muttered, rolling his eyes again. "I'm sorry I asked."

00000

Suzaku had to admit he was somewhat lost on what to do now, as Kallen's machine back away warily, and he himself straightened into a guard position. He had intervened in the fight because it was the first thing he had seen out of blind impulse.

But now… now he was going to have to fight Kallen.

Above all else, it was his biggest reason to hesitate- he had no doubts his was the correct path and that this was necessary, but still, having to fight Kallen was going to be one of his greatest challenges, he was sure.

_I just have to keep her away from them,_ he thought to himself. _Just hold her up long enough for them to run. That way neither no one will get hurt._

Something that sounded impossible, to keep both the enemy and his allies from harm, but Suzaku had faith that he and the _Caliburn_ could get the job done.

And then, as if fate itself was moving to challenge that notion, the _Amaterasu _lunged forward in a series of ferocious swipes that he doubted even the _Caliburn_'s unnatural metal armor could withstand, forcing Suzaku to dodge and parry the blows, barely leaving him time to catch his breath, let alone try to move her away from this battle.

_Fast_, Suzaku thought, amazed._ She might be- no, she's_ definitely _faster than me. _

Milly's words came back to him.

"_You might be good, Suzaku-sama, and who knows what that machine of yours is capable of, but Kallen-sama is a soldier who has fought countless battles and everyone knows her Knightmare Frame is the best Kirihara Industries can provide."_

"She wasn't kidding," Suzaku muttered, and twisted, forcefully parrying the last of Kallen's slashes, and then moving forward, releasing the two handed grip on the longsword to deliver a stunning punch to the _Amaterasu_'s chest, knocking it backwards.

Despite the level of force Suzaku had put into the blow, it seemed Kallen was barely fazed by the assault, and the front section of the Amaterasu's chest opened up, unleashing a torrent of light that left Suzaku reeling, leaving him in a blind agony.

_Damn! What the hell-_

"Got you, _Kinma_," he heard Kallen whisper, and out of reflex, he raised his sword to guard, and felt a powerful grip take hold of the weapon, and then a massive explosion rocked his Knightmare, sending Suzaku crashing backwards.

"Impossible! I hit that sword with a full blast from the Radiant Wave Surger!" Kallen's startled voice brought him back to reality, and his eyes cleared just in time to see the _Caliburn_'s sword glowing with that same azure energy as before.

_Thank God Kallen forgot to turn off her external speakers_, Suzaku thought gratefully, though the thought that chance and the _Caliburn_'s ability to pull superpowers out of thin air were all that kept him from destruction was sobering.

Taking advantage of Kallen's surprise, Suzaku slashed with the sword, sending a blade of energy arcing towards the _Amaterasu_, aiming for its legs to disable the machine.

Kallen, however, reacted immediately, firing a Slash Harken toward a wall and then using it to pull herself towards it, moving along the wall, well above the deadly crescent of power, coming at him in another whirling dervish of blades.

This time, however, Suzaku decided to meet her blow for blow, and within the first few blows they had settled into a rhythm that Suzaku found disquietingly similar to their kendo duels.

However, Kallen had an edge that Suzaku did not- he wasn't striking to kill, while she certainly was. And with her machine already claiming the advantage of speed, this made it doubly hard for Suzaku to hit Kallen and push her back as he intended.

What's more, whatever mechanism that created the blinding light from the center of the _Amaterasu_'s chest was done recharging, and the hatch had begun to open- at this range, Suzaku would likely never recover in time for a counterattack.

In a desperation move, Suzaku lunged the _Caliburn_ forward, barreling the gleaming golden shoulder into the metal circle, in effect plugging the gap through which that damnable light would pour on through.

With a loud shout, Suzaku gunned his Knightmare, accelerating rapidly, knocking both of them through the melee between the Brittanians and Japanese that had continued all around them during their duel, until they slammed into the far wall and came crashing outside in an impromptu exit.

00000

_That was insane, _Shirley thought in amazement, as she finally managed to make her crippled De Dannan stand upright again. A twinge of an almost professional jealousy crossed her heart as she thought about how swift and deadly both of those unique machines were, that made her own Knightmare seem practically pitiful in comparison.

And what an impact on the battle those two had made. With the loss of Kouzuki's presence, it seemed that the remaining Japanese forces were disheartened, and began a slow retreat as it became clear they were about to be routed anyway.

Within a few minutes, the last of the Shinran Knightmares had been driven off, leaving the Brittanian forces panting, exhausted but victorious.

"That guy is crazy," Gino said in wonderment, vocalizing Shirley's own thoughts about how that golden Knightmare had practically tackled Kouzuki and launched them both outside.

"Should we go after them, my lord?" Kewell asked curiously.

"That would not be wise," came a voice from the Sidhe that Shirley had helped earlier.

"Commander!" came the shout from the other two Sidhe Knightmares, and Shirley's eyes widened in shock.

_The Commander? Here? No wonder even Gino was shaken up… _Shirley thought in wonderment. Now the presence of such rare and powerful machines made perfect sense.

"I'm alright," the Commander said gruffly, and then turned her Knightmare towards Shirley, who straightened ever so slightly, as though the gaze of a strict teacher had come onto her. "You, in the De Dannan. What is your name?"

"S-Shirley. Shirley Fenette," she replied, suddenly awkward.

"You fought well," the Commander complimented, a tone of warmth that seemed unusual in such a commanding, regal voice. "I see Weinberg's men are deserving of such great faith from their leader."

"Thank you Commander!" Shirley said, a swelling of uncharacteristic pride in her breast.

"Hmph. You have been kind enough to give me your name, so I will give you mine, Fenette, as a token of my appreciation."

"B-But commander!" came the voice of one of the other Sidhe pilots, but was cut off as the hatch on the Commander's Sidhe opened up, revealing the figure of the near mythical leader of their rebellion.

"A-a woman?" she heard Rivalz gasp in the background.

"Not just any woman," Kewell said sternly, his tone of voice obviously indicating irritated with Rivalz's flippant response. "This is Cornelia Li Brittania, you dolt, second princess of the Brittanian royal family!"

"_Former_ princess," Cornelia corrected, a note of dry humor in her voice. She was tall and full bodied, her frame filled out enough to avoid being called slender but not enough to be called overtly muscular. She was, in a word, fit, powerfully so, but still quite undeniably feminine in her own way. Shirley suddenly felt justified in all those times she insisted that the legendary Commander of the BLF could have been a woman.

"The overprotective one is my knight, Gilbert P. Guilford," she introduced, gesturing towards one of the damaged Sidhe. "And the other Sidhe pilot is my second in command, Andreas Darlton. Your timely intervention seemed to have saved us, Fenette."

"It was that golden Knightmare more than me," Shirley said embarrassedly.

"Hmph." Cornelia seemed amused by her humble response. "Well, I'll be keeping an eye on you, Fenette. Darlton, what are our casualties?"

"Calares is dead, Commander," Darlton rumbled, "As are most of our men on foot. We've lost half our Knightmares in this engagement."

"Then it is time to pull back," Cornelia said slowly, seemingly unperturbed by the death of her subordinate. Briefly, Shirley wondered at how calm and professional the princess could be in the face of so many dead, but she supposed that was part of being a leader.

"Hmph. Without Calares, we will need a new overseer for this area," Gilford noted.

"We have one," Cornelia said, and turned towards Gino's Knightmare. "Weinberg!"

"M-Me, princess?" Gino's voice was so transparently shocked that Shirley felt an empathetic sense of embarrassment that he was her commanding officer.

"You've shown skill here, and in the past. And with subordinates like Fenette, you deserve a larger role in our organization," Cornelia said briskly. "Now, with that settled, it's time to keep moving. With the amount of damage that's been done to this place, and with those two monstrous Knightmares outside, chances are this building will be coming down on us shortly."

The convoy started up again, leaving only Shirley and Gino behind.

"I'm in charge of London now?" Gino repeated, still bewildered, and Shirley, despite her exhaustion, laughed.

00000

Elsewhere, Suzaku dearly wished he could have a reason to laugh. As it was, he was busy fighting for his life in a battle with his fiancée, of all people (occasionally Suzaku had to think of Kallen in this way, embarrassing as it was), who didn't even have a clue it was him inside of the Knightmare she was battling. Maybe later he could laugh, but right now the situation, absurd as it was, held no humor for him.

They had taken the battle outside, into what must have been the primary manufacturing area of the plant, with its long, massive conveyor belts running along the length of the floor, the rusted machines acting as obstacles on this arena.

Kallen slashed high at him, and Suzaku struck back, their attacks meeting midway and sending the other faltering back. Almost in unison, they both recovered, and returned to the fight.

They were meeting each other stroke for stroke- every time Kallen slashed, Suzaku dodged the attack or parried with enough force that Kallen couldn't maintain the equilibrium necessary for a follow up attack while his guard was down. And every time Suzaku managed to find a moment in which to strike, Kallen's speed made landing that hit nearly impossible.

_This is never going to end_, Suzaku thought wearily. His only consolation was that Kallen had been fighting since the battle began, and against several difficult opponents already- but that only made the gap in their abilities that much more apparent.

_So this is the difference between a regular person and a soldier,_ Suzaku realized, a sinking feeling pressing into his gut.

Kallen also realized that they were at a stalemate, and pulled away, leaping off until she was a good distance away, well out of his reach. With her Knightmare's unusual metal hatch damaged, however, Suzaku didn't know what she could do at that kind of range, and moved warily.

"I really don't like this move because of how badly it eats up my Energy Filler, but I have to admit you're too tough to hold back against," Kallen said suddenly, over her activated loudspeakers. "This is the end, _Kinma_."

In a single practiced maneuver, Kallen brought both of the_ Amaterasu_'s clawed hands together, slamming them with their palms open, facing him. Immediately, both unusual red gem-like structures at the center of those deadly claws began to glow.

_What in the-_

Suzaku's thoughts were interrupted as a massive wave of red-black energy poured out from the _Amaterasu_'s outstretched palms in a pillar of crackling energy, leaving Suzaku with barely enough time to raise the _Caliburn'_s sword as a guard, hoping that same azure energy would shield him from harm once again.

The impact was so fierce that, for a moment, Suzaku despaired, believing that even the _Caliburn_'s amazing powers were nothing against Kallen's superior skill and experience, and he was slowly but surely shoved backwards, forced to give ground against this new attack.

"Not yet," Suzaku gritted out. _I haven't paid for my mistakes. I haven't given Brittania the justice it deserves._

In answer to its master's will, the Caliburn's blade started to burn brighter, and Suzaku remembered Lloyd describing the mental link as a critical component of controlling the machine. He was obviously on to something, it seemed.

_Caliburn…_ Suzaku thought, or maybe more accurately prayed._ If you can hear me… please. We cannot lose here. _

The deadly red-black glow of the_ Amaterasu_'s attack was slowly, but surely, being eclipsed by the brilliant sapphire light of the _Caliburn_'s own power.

"You- impossible!" Kallen said incredulously.

With a final, loud shout, Suzaku pushed hard on the _Caliburn_'s controls, and shoved aside Kallen's attack, unleashing his own brilliant wave of energy in counterattack.

Kallen, in an eerie mirror to his own movements, raised the _Amaterasu_'s claws to block the attack with the Radiant Wave Surger's own power- however, what she said about her attack draining the Energy Filler must have been true, as her own light seemed far weaker than before, and in a catastrophic blast the _Amaterasu _was sent hurtling backwards, blasting through the walls of the factory and into the dwindling light of day outside.

_I… I did it… _he thought, feeling genuinely surprised as he laughed in relief. Somehow he drove Kallen back without actually killing her, and helped the rest of the Brittanian Liberation Front escape in the process.

Suzaku felt a brief moment of triumph. Finally, he was starting to make good on his hopes of actually making a difference in this world.

And that was when the building started to collapse.

"Oh son of a-"

00000

Naoto watched from his commander's chair with thinly veiled annoyance as the reporter, Diethard, gleefully noted every explosion that rocked the factory, as if he was unaware each one could have claimed the lives of countless of Naoto's men.

"Why did you alert the media?" Minami's question brought him out of his reverie. "It's obvious you don't care for them."

"I just don't like spectacle," Naoto shrugged. "But it was another part of Kyoto's orders- part of us sending a message to the rebels."

"Makes sense. Watching the fall of a rebel base live would be a dramatic blow to their morale," Minami agreed.

"Sir!" one of the "bridge bunnies", as members of the command deck crew were unofficially known, called out. "We've got incoming!"

Naoto stood up out of his chair as the image was brought onto the main screen, eyes wide with shock. "That's the _Amaterasu_!"

His sister's machine was sent crashing backwards out of the factory, hitting the dirt with impressive force.

"The factory is starting to collapse, Commander!" one of the other officers shouted desperately, as the wall through which Kallen had been sent hurtling through began to crumble, unable to hold its structural integrity together any farther.

"All surviving units, pull back now! The structure is collapsing! I repeat, pull out now!" Naoto barked, praying one of the communication's officers was transmitting his orders.

"_Kaze_ is already safely away, sir," Sancia reported. "_Umi _and_ Hagane _are in sections of the building that have not yet begun to collapse, and will exit ASAP. However, _Taiyou _has not responded… it may be they have been wiped out, with Kallen-sama driven back this way."

"How is she?" Naoto asked worriedly practically bowling over Minami as he ran towards the control consoles, spotting the read out on the Amaterasu on one of the screens.

"She's unconscious, but her vitals are strong, sir," Sancia informed him softly, placing a hand on his shoulder to remind him of his position. He gave her an apologetic look, and she continued, "The Amaterasu's own structural report, according to the readouts, is relatively heartening- whatever it was must just have knocked her back, that's all."

"But what could have knocked Kallen-sama back like that?" Minami said in wonderment.

"It was him," Naoto said grimly, and all eyes on the bridge looked back towards the main observation screen, where a single Knightmare stood, amidst the rapidly crumbling ruin of the industrial complex.

"_Kinma_," Minami breathed, eyes widening. "So this is what slaughtered _Kage _company all those weeks ago…"

"He was able to beat Kallen-sama," Sancia said softly, a note of worry in her usually placidly calm tone.

"This is no ordinary Knightmare Frame… whoever he is, he's a bigger threat than Kyoto realizes," Naoto muttered, clenching his fists.

_He hurt my sister,_ he thought furiously, biting his lip until it drew blood. _He's killed my men. Whoever you are, buddy, I am taking you down, if it's the last thing I do. _

00000

"Get a shot of this, you idiot!" Diethard Ried urged excitedly, as his buffoon of a cameraman merely stood there, wide eyed and gibbering with shock at the golden Knightmare Frame which presumably had beaten even Kouzuki Kallen, one of the _Shichitennou._

"Are you crazy? We've got to get out of here!"

"Oh fine, I'll do it myself!" Diethard snapped, grabbing the camera violently from the hands of his useless (and soon to be fired) cameraman, pointing it towards the crumbling factory with fingers that trembled with nervous, excited energy.

_Who are you,_ Diethard thought, his mind feeling feverish. _What do you want? _

And as if it had heard Diethard's unspoken desires, the pilot of that golden machine began to speak.

00000

_Reporters,_ Suzaku thought, a feeling of dark satisfaction settling in his gut. _Perfect. _

It was time to send the message to the Empire that he had come all this way to deliver, and the more people who could witness it, the better.

"Citizens of the Japanese Empire!" he roared, consciously forcing his voice to be harsher and darker than his usual tenor. He still had to hide his identity for a little while longer. "I have come here to deliver a message!"

All the fury of the past seven years, all the regret, all the desperate, dark wishes he had held in his heart, began to pour forth, like a dam bursting at the seams, letting loose a flood that would drown the entire world in its rage.

"You are evil."

The force of such a simple, but powerful statement reverberated in the post-battle silence, those three words being the summation of Suzaku's feelings towards his own kingdom since he discovered the depths of hypocrisy they would sink to in the name of their false justice.

"You who hide behind your justice of heaven! You who have butchered and subjugated countless peoples! You are an empire of tyrants and liars, built on the corpses of good people, and held with the blood of the innocent, and I have come here to deliver your punishment!"

His vow returned to him, a vendetta seven years held in check, but no longer.

_"I will crush Japan!"_

_And I will, Lelouch, _Suzaku promised. _I will make things right again. _

"Even if heaven forgives you, I will not! I am the justice of the people, not the false justice you claim shields you from judgment, the justice of your gods! Your _Tenchuu,_ your Justice of Heaven, will crumble in the face of true justice! "

His eyes blazed, and Suzaku knew his next words would cast the die that would set him forever against the Empire, and his own people.

"I am the Justice of Man," Suzaku declared, and within those words was a great doom.

For whom, however, it was not yet certain.

_This is my name now. This is the symbol I will give Brittania, Lelouch. _

"I am _Jinchuu_," Suzaku named himself, "And I will be your end."

Author's Notes

Somehow this too came out quickly, though it became a monstrously long chapter in its own right (16,000 words, almost).

While in canon Suzaku and Kallen are always on equal terms in battle, here, I want people to remember that Suzaku has had no training and in fact has only fought in one battle previous, whereas Kallen is a trained, professional veteran of multiple wars. It just doesn't feel probable that Suzaku could immediately trump Kallen as a result.

Jinchuu, I have to admit, is actually taken from a philosophy by Yukishiro Enishi of Rurouni Kenshin. It just fit so well that I couldn't help but steal it for use in this story.

And yes, Gurren Lagann exists in this universe. Because a universe without it is a universe not worth talking about.


	9. Chapter 8: Changing Water To Wine

_You say you want a revolution  
Well, you know  
We all want to change the world  
You tell me that it's evolution  
Well, you know  
We all want to change the world  
But when you talk about destruction  
Don't you know that you can count me out  
Don't you know it's gonna be all right  
all right, all right _

"Revolution", The Beatles

Chapter 8

Changing Water To Wine

"I think you need to give me a nickname."

Suzaku blinked, nearly releasing his hold on the controls of the _Caliburn_ as he eased it slowly behind a stack of metal containers that concealed its form. "What?"

"A nickname. You know, since I'm your sidekick and all that," Milly continued over the communicator, absently humming to herself.

"What do you mean? You're not the one running around late at night fighting drug dealers and corrupt soldiers," Suzaku said defensively, rolling his eyes. "And is this really the time? There's still a few Knightmares around."

"Oh please, you've barely broken a sweat against these guys," she countered. "And why can't I have one? You have one!"

"I have a name that protects my identity, and the identities of people I care about," he retorted tartly. "And what do you mean, I've barely broken a sweat? Do you see that warehouse? It's on _fire,_ Milly! Because they tried to burn it down with me inside! I barely got away!"

"Oh please, it was just a few barrels of explosives," Milly said sagely, before adding lightly, "By the way, you're going to want to duck."

"What-"

Suzaku was suddenly and violent cut off as a thunderous explosion turned the metal container he had been crouching behind into so much metal scraps.

"Guess they got reinforcements," Suzaku muttered.

"Looks like one of their Knightmare's has a rocket launcher- I think it's a Shinran, but it's all a little hazy. He's north of you, standing on a stack of containers. There's two De Dannan Knightmares waiting at the foot of the container for you to attack," Milly reported.

Suzaku bit his lip. "Milly, I thought I said for you to stay with the truck."

"Oh, I did," Milly said pleasantly. "I just also tapped the dock security cameras ahead of time so I could see where everything was. We can wipe the tapes later too, so the military can't get more footage of you and your garish little toy."

Suzaku blinked.

"Milly… sometimes, you really scare me."

He could practically see the saccharine sweet smile through the radio. "A maid's job is to support her master, Suzaku-sama."

"Well, thanks," Suzaku said, a tad grudgingly, as he really didn't want Milly involving herself to this kind of degree. Still, no use complaining now, he admitted, and charged out of the lingering smoke.

Just in time too, as it turns out, as the Shinran had reloaded and fired off a second rocket, probably hoping to finish him off. The_ Caliburn_'s armor was tough, but Suzaku wasn't sure it could take such a powerful weapon head on, and he shoved the Knightmare to the side, narrowly avoiding the explosive projectile.

Soon after, the De Dannan's fired at him, but Suzaku dodged the attack with almost contemptuous ease, closing the distance in seconds, slashing both of them apart in a series of swift slashes.

The remaining Knightmare, a Shinran, pointed its rocket launcher straight down at the _Caliburn_. In response, Suzaku hurled his Knightmare's longsword straight at him, spearing the surprised pilot and destroying the enemy before the shot rang out.

"Where the hell did they get a rocket launcher," Suzaku muttered, grabbing the _Caliburn_'s sword as it fell back down to the ground.

"This is the third warehouse you've hit in half a month," Milly pointed out. "They were bound to start upping the ante."

Suzaku huffed, and turned back towards the warehouse. "All that's left is-"

Another explosion cut him off, and Suzaku wondered how they kept timing it like that, like some malicious figure was directing events to make things more dramatic.

"There's about a couple more Knightmares coming your way," Milly chirped. "Oh, and it looks like another warehouse caught fire from that last rocket. I guess something flammable was inside."

"Okay, this is why you don't get a nickname," Suzaku said sourly, charging back into the fight. These last two were simple outdated Kukai-class Knightmares, and were wielding only simple machine guns- they didn't even have a chance. Despite his annoyance, the _Caliburn _and his own increasing skill (thanks to increasing levels of resistance he had been facing) helped him make quick work of the enemy, leaving Suzaku free to continue.

"Is that all of them?" Suzaku asked, a tad breathlessly.

"Hmmm… looks like it," Milly said casually, as though he was not fighting for his life.

"Good," Suzaku muttered, and maneuvered the _Caliburn _back inside one of the warehouses, the one he had come out tonight to attack to begin with.

To make sure he could stop_ this._

Sitting in the center of the docking bay was a large freight truck, and Suzaku sliced open one of the sides to reveal a number of stacked wooden crates. With a single contemptuous backhand of his Knightmare's hand, he smashed one open, and a torrent of ruby liquid poured out.

"Reaper," he spat, narrowing his eyes in disgust. "Milly, call the police. Looks like we were right."

Milly hummed. "Alrighty."

Suzaku sighed, and turned towards the wall with a grim look on his face. "Only one more thing left to do."

"Why do you do this," Milly questioned curiously. "Why do you keep leaving this mark everywhere you go?"

Instead of answering, Suzaku moved the _Caliburn_'s massive blade, and with a furious sweep of the weapon slashed two _kanji _characters into the wall.

"Because the Empire should know who did this. That this wasn't just some attack," Suzaku said, his tone ice.

"They need to know it was_ judgment._"

00000

"In our top story this evening, the terrorist identified only as _Jinchuu_ struck again late last night in the London docks area, leaving behind only the two kanji of 'Man' and 'Justice' carved into the walls of one of the building, symbols which have become the terrorist's gruesome signature.

"The terrorist first appeared two weeks ago during a raid mounted by the Japanese military against a suspected base for the infamous Brittanian Liberation Front, and has been claimed to have personally defeated Kouzuki Kallen-sama of the_ Shichitennou. _

"According to our latest information, the terrorist burned down several warehouses and left over a dozen dead in the wake of the attack. As before, at this time we cannot confirm any survivors of the incident who may have been able to provide a more detailed accounts of what went on there last night.

"However, although the details are only just coming in, it appears a major shipment of the drug 'Reaper' was seized by authorities in the wake of the incident, which they discovered contained within several metal shipping containers inside the ruins of the warehouses.

"No official statement has been released by the Japanese government at this time regarding whether or not these recent attacks are actually acts against a hitherto unknown drug cartel, or what the intentions of this murderous terrorist are at this time.

"That's all for this story for now, and now we move on to the lighter side of things, with an interview with famous _manga-ka _Harima Kenji-"

The television clicked off.

"Enough," Naoto muttered, setting the remote down, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He had been up all night cooped up in the command center so far, and news that would distract him was the very last thing he wanted to hear right now.

"Why _Jinchuu, _Commander? Why does he call himself that?" Sancia asked softly, handing him a cup of steaming coffee which he took gratefully.

"To strike fear," Naoto muttered, sipping the coffee slowly (as was his custom, it was sweet, almost poisonously so, according to Kallen) grudgingly admitting it was a well-chosen name. "By using the language of the enemy, you make it known to them- Japanese is a language with symbolic meanings for each of part of their words. He makes it that much more real to us by doing this."

"What is this man?" Sancia questioned, sounding horrified by the implications. "He seems to strike randomly, out of nowhere- there seems to be no pattern to his actions."

"That's not quite true," Naoto corrected, glancing over the papers that littered his desk, brushing some of them aside to set his cup down. "He keeps hitting anyplace he sees as 'evil'. Two military bases run by officers that we've long suspected of being corrupt, along with three different warehouses where we just happen to find shipments of drugs that are polluting the streets- all of them doing something that this _Jinchuu _obviously has condemned."

"What a madman," she murmured.

"Is he, Sancia?" Naoto's question seemed to shock her, and he continued tiredly, "We've fought enemies fighting for land, for their country, for money. This is the first time we've gone up against someone fighting for justice… and I hate to say it, but that makes more sense to me than any other reason."

"You really think that's his only goal?" the lieutenant asked, sounding deeply skeptical. "That this isn't just a cover for some deeper, hidden agenda? Since his appearance, there's been an alarmingly sharp rise in insurgent activities." "

"I can't be certain, but… this doesn't feel like the actions of your usual terrorist," Naoto replied, shaking his head. "Just who is this guy? He comes out of nowhere with a machine that is on the level of the _Amaterasu,_ and with enough skill to back it up. He obviously has some way of gathering intelligence, because he knows which of our officers are under suspicion and even knows of places we've only begun to suspect are smuggling drugs into the country."

"Is he a Brittanian terrorist?" she conjectured. "Or maybe an agent provocateur from the Federation or the SEL?"

"Or maybe none of the above," Naoto muttered. "Whoever he is, he's a deadly, determined, and utterly ruthless terrorist, and I don't know if anyone can stop him right now."

00000

"Suzaku-sama, quit slouching while you're eating! You're going to ruin your posture!" Milly chided, grabbing him bodily and forcefully straightening his spine with surprising force.

Suzaku groaned pitifully, looking up from his breakfast cereal with an annoyed look. "Milly, I was up all night again. Cut me some slack."

"No can do! What kind of revolutionary has bad posture?" Milly scoffed, shaking her head at the very thought of such a thing.

"One who is better rested than me, obviously," Suzaku muttered.

"Someone's cranky this morning," Milly noted, her tone of amusement fading slightly. "The price of leading two lives, I suppose."

Suzaku had to admit, she was right. He could barely remember the last time he slept for more than four or so hours at a time. His nightly battles as _Jinchuu_ tended to make things very complicated for his daylight hours as a prince, bringing new work constantly to his desk. Add that to all the research he had to make in order to just pick a new target for _Jinchuu _to make his mark at next, and it was a wonder Suzaku hadn't just fallen asleep face down in his cereal.

"You are making a difference though, I have to admit. I can see it in people's eyes when I go outside," Milly added softly. "Who would have thought?"

"This is just the start," Suzaku muttered. "I've only just started to remove the evil that infests in this country."

Any more conversation was abruptly cut off as the door to the dining room opened and a yawning, sleepy eyed Kallen, dressed in a rumpled t-shirt and shorts, stepped into the room.

"Mornin'," she said drowsily, mid yawn.

"Good morning, Kallen-sama!" Milly greeted, and quickly moved forward, pulling out the chair for her. "I'll be back in just a moment with your breakfast."

"Thank you, Milly," Kallen said gratefully, practically throwing herself down on the chair as she did so.

"You've never been much of a morning person," Suzaku observed with a tone of nostalgia in his voice, chuckling.

"Some of us enjoy sleep," Kallen retorted. "You were up pretty late too, it seems."

"Finishing some paperwork left over from the last _Jinchuu_ attack- and just in time too, it seems," Suzaku lied, trying to force an air of lightness in his tone. "He's struck again, apparently."

"I wish _onii-chan_ would actually let me get back in the fight- I only bumped my head, that's all, and the _Amaterasu_'s repairs are finished!" Kallen complained, as Milly stepped back into the room, bearing a steaming plate of bacon and eggs. "Ooh, that looks good, Milly, thanks!"

"My pleasure, Kallen-sama," Milly bowed.

For his part, Suzaku was glad that Kallen had been unable to fight for the past two weeks- not having to fight her was a huge relief, both in terms of the actual danger she posed and how conflicted he still was about fighting his oldest friend.

"No school today?" Suzaku questioned, trying to divert his thoughts away from such troubling issues.

"It's Saturday, dork," Kallen informed him sardonically, raising an eyebrow. "What's with you?"

Suzaku flushed. "Er… sorry. I guess I'm more tired than I thought."

Kallen clearly didn't buy it, peering at him closer. "Suzaku… are you sure you're okay?"

He squirmed, and refused to meet her gaze, feeling that if he did, some of his guilt would show through. "I'm fine," he said, a touch curtly. "Just… stressed, I suppose."

Kallen's face made remained skeptical, and Suzaku stood up. "I'm done. Thanks for the food."

And with that, he turned on his heel and practically fled the room, all the while hating himself for having to lie.

00000

"Did I say something wrong?" Kallen blinked, sounding worried. "He's… acting strangely."

Milly patted her on the shoulder, smiling. "Suzaku-sama really is just tired. This whole _Jinchuu_ affair has him worried… especially when you came back unconscious. He wasn't willing to really admit it, but what happened to you scared him."

"Oh," Kallen said, face falling. She hadn't realized he had been so affected- but then again, Suzaku seemed far more secretive, unwilling to speak about his feelings. Not like when they were children, where he was brash and outspoken. "… I didn't realize."

"Suzaku-sama doesn't usually talk about things that bother him," Milly said, shrugging.

"But you knew," Kallen noted, glancing up at her. "You know him very well, don't you?"

"I've been by the master's side for almost seven years. You tend to pick up a few things, especially if you're always cleaning his dirty laundry," Milly replied lightly, flashing a mischievous smile.

"Then… can you help me? I don't want to see Suzaku like this," Kallen asked hesitantly, chewing her lip worriedly. "But I know if I just come out and try to help him, he won't talk to me. Not like before…"

"Boys are a little touchy, Kallen-sama," Milly advised her, placing a warm cup of tea down next to her plate. "It's best to help them without their knowing it."

"Without him knowing?" Kallen blinked.

"Just help him relax. Even for a moment," Milly suggested, before adding a salacious wink. "You know, I hear that there are certain activities that are extremely relaxing…"

Her tone of voice and that wink made the implications very clear, and Kallen flushed a bright red that matched her hair.

"I-I am not doing that!" she stuttered angrily.

Milly giggled. "Well, you two are fiancées. Sooner or later, you will!"

"That-that…" Kallen looked down, as if staring determinedly at her lap would make the heat in her cheeks dissipate faster. "That's not important right now!"

Milly laughed.

"And quit laughing, Milly!" Kallen scowled, crossing her arms.

"My apologies, Kallen-sama," Milly said generously, bowing deeply. "But really. I am sure that your thoughts alone will be enough to help ease Suzaku's mind. You two have known each other for so long, after all, that maybe words aren't necessary."

"Without words, huh…" Kallen chewed her lip thoughtfully, before her face lit up, and she smiled.

"See," Milly murmured, nodding with a small smile. "I knew you'd figure it out, Kallen-sama."

00000

"Oi. Lelouch."

The only response from the bundle of blankets that might have a human buried inside them was a low grumble and a shifting of weight.

C.C. narrowed her eyes.

"OUCH!"

Lelouch picked himself up off the floor, holding an aching head as he leveled a venomous glare at C.C. "Did you just push me onto the floor?"

"I didn't have the patience to run off and get a bucket of water," C.C. replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "Come on, get dressed."

"There's no school today," Lelouch muttered, gathering up his blankets and determinedly planting himself back down onto the bed. "So leave me alone, witch."

"We need to do some shopping today. We're almost out of supplies for the bakery, and indeed for ourselves," C.C. responded critically, crossing her arms.

"I wasn't aware you had grown a responsible streak. Do you need me to take you to the doctor?" Lelouch said sarcastically, though his voice was still somewhat muffled from being pressed into the comforting softness of his bed. His smug response was swiftly met by painful retribution, courtesy of a soft, but nonetheless jarring kick. "Oi! God damn it C.C.!"

C.C. sniffed, and held her head in disdain. "You're accompanying me. I can't carry all of the things we need alone. Your arms might be made of wet noodles and paper, but they'll do, I suppose."

Lelouch sputtered, and she continued on, "You've got fifteen minutes to shower and change. I'll meet you downstairs."

And with that, she turned on her heel, and moved towards the door, pausing only as she was halfway through, turning her head slightly and adding, "Oh, and Jeremiah said your order was ready. We'll also be picking that up today."

She smirked, and shut the door.

"All that fuss and those insults simply because she knew I had no choice," Lelouch muttered, pushing himself up to his feet. "… I really, really hate that woman."

00000

"Ugh…" Gino groaned, from behind an overly large pair of sunglasses that were hiding bloodshot eyes. His hair was mussed and clothes rumpled, all obvious signs of a very late (but possibly very good) night. "Why does this meeting have to be so early in the morning?"

"It's barely even morning anymore," Shirley replied, frowning as she grabbed Gino by the collar, straightening the shirt. "And it wouldn't be a problem if you and Rivalz hadn't gone overboard on the drinks last night."

"We were celebrating the boss's promotion!" Rivalz protested, from the seat next to her.

The three of them, alongside Kewell, were currently in a small backroom at Malory's, which Mac had kindly allotted them to use for discreet meetings. "And it wasn't the drinks, Shirley! Like I said, me and the boss had a crazy night, like I told you earlier!"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. You ran into some kind of… 'shiny demon'," Shirley repeated disbelievingly, raising an eyebrow as she released Gino's now somewhat more respectable looking shirt.

"It's true," Gino chimed in insistently. "He made us play him a song for our souls."

"A song." Shirley's eyebrow was threatening to leave her face with how high it had been raised. "I suppose this was because Rivalz happened to bring his guitar to the party."

"Yeah," Rivalz said, grinning, as though unaware of her tone of voice.

"But we kicked his ass when we played that song! I don't even know how we did it! He was all like- 'be you angels'? And we said 'nay, we are but men!'" Gino grinned, laughing, until he remembered that moving his face tended to increase the headache.

"Kewell didn't see any devil," Shirley pointed out.

"Kewell had already gone home! He left like half an hour after you!" Rivalz said loudly.

Kewell coughed as Shirley looked over at him with a critical gaze, looking embarrassed. "I was… also a little incapacitated."

"I'll say! You were practically passed out!" Gino laughed, clapping him on the back.

"We really shouldn't have had anything to drink at all," Shirley muttered, but supposed that risking their lives in battle made things like a drinking age tend not to matter so much. "That celebration went overboard."

"Ah, lighten up, Red!" Gino said casually, clapping her on the shoulder. "It was all in good fun."

"Say that after you meet the rest of the district leaders looking like that," Shirley said sternly, shaking her head. "The Commander clearly doesn't know you all that well."

"She tends to judge people based off her own intuition," came a low baritone voice, and all eyes on the room turned towards the bear-like figure of Andreas Darlton stepping into the room, who had a slight smile on his worn features. "But I would say that a philosophy like Lord Weinberg's sounds refreshing in these times."

"Lord Darlton!" Kewell exclaimed, and stood. Following his lead, Rivalz, Shirley, and (after a prod to the ribs from Shirley) Gino stood.

"Please, sit," Darlton said generously, inclining his head. After a moment, his lips twitched, and he added, "It sounds like standing is a bit of an issue for some of you."

Kewell looked about ready to sink into the floor. Rivalz coughed nervously, and Gino smiled.

He took the far seat, across from them, and absently removed a pipe from the inner pocket of his coat. He was dressed simply, with a collared shirt and slacks, but there was an unmistakable air of authority that hung around him like a comfortable skin. Darlton had no need to exert his authority- it was simply part of who he was.

"What brings you here, Lord Darlton?" Kewell asked respectfully.

"As the newest regional leader, Lord Weinberg will need someone to help smooth things over with the more senior district leaders who have been passed over for promotion. For the time being, you can think of me as an advisor," he explained smoothly, chewing on the end of the pipe without lighting it. His leathery features cracked and softened, and he added, "The Commander is quite interested in seeing how you perform, and I'm here as her representative. You will receive your orders from myself, acting as her proxy, and in turn you will issue these orders to the different cell leaders."

"By the way..." Shirley said slowly, shifting uncomfortably as attention in the room drew to her. "I was just wondering… cell leaders don't usually meet, do they? Isn't that how the organization works?"

"Times are changing, my dear," Darlton said, his tone sympathetic to her confusion. "With the attack at Dartford, we've seen that the dispersal of our assets is becoming less and less effective. And…" he paused, as if uncertain how to approach the next issue. "There is another issue that the Commander wants to discuss."

"_Jinchuu_," Gino said quietly, and the room fell silent.

"From your report, it appears you were the first ones to make contact with him several weeks ago," Darlton commented, his tone neutral. "The Commander wants a free sharing of information to build a profile on this man."

"You want to know if he's a friend or a foe," Gino concluded.

Darlton nodded.

"We might have a lead," Shirley said quietly.

Darlton blinked, and peered over at her over the rim of his pipe. "Is that right?"

"There's a boy at my school I spotted there in the Underground on that day. I checked with the school and he was absent that day," Shirley explained quickly, feeling foolish all the while. All they had was circumstantial evidence on Lelouch, after all.

"You saw him?" he asked, raising a curious eyebrow. "Clearly identified him?"

"Y-yes. It was dark, but I swear it was him," Shirley said, now somewhat nervous.

"Hmm… I'm afraid that all is just too flimsy to proceed on," Darlton refuted, shaking his head and offering her a look of regret. "The Commander wants hard facts, not hunches. Do you have anything else on him that would make it stick?"

"I dunno, Shirley," Rivalz added in, crossing his arms behind his head, "I don't know any more if Lelouch could really be _Jinchuu_. Not after that incident the other week."

"He was absent again that day too," Shirley insisted, "He's just too suspicious-"

"Did you say Lelouch?" Darlton straightened, his eyes wide as though he'd just seen a ghost. "What was his last name?" When she didn't answer, he said roughly, "What was his name, girl?"

"L-Lamperouge," Shirley answered, startled by the sudden change in his tone.

Darlton jaw clenched, and he muttered in a voice that was so soft that it was almost inaudible, "She's not going to like this…"

"Lord Darlton?" Kewell asked, voice full of concern. "Is there something wrong?"

Darlton sighed, shaking his head as though trying to loose himself for a bad dream. "I can't speak about it here. However…" he looked over at Shirley, who suddenly felt uncomfortable at having brought the issue up. "Fenette, I was going tell you later, but I suppose now is a as good time a time as any. The Commander wants to see you personally, in a week."

"Me?" Shirley blinked.

Darlton nodded. "She's taken an interest in you. You've got potential, and the Commander always appreciates another female soldier with skill. She'd like to have you begin more formal training as a Knightmare pilot to sharpen your skill, and her requested meeting in a week is to broach this subject with you."

Shirley was flabbergasted. The legendary Commander of their resistance movement, Cornelia li Brittania, a princesses of the Empire, was interested in her?

"I… of course I would be interested," Shirley said hastily, nodding her head fervently. "But what does this have to do with Lelouch?"

"I'd ask you to keep that topic closed for now, until your meeting with the Commander. It's best if she hears the whole story from you," Darlton said reluctantly, shaking his head. "In the meantime, try to gather as much information as you can on this Lelouch to bring to her."

Shirley nodded, all the while wondering why it was Lelouch's name, of all things, that had gotten the attention of Lord Darlton.

Just who was he?

00000

"You, Lelouch Lamperouge, are an idiot."

Lelouch scowled. "How was I supposed to know that woman was the owner of the store? And besides, she _pinched_ me!"

"It was just a little pinch," C.C. replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

"She practically groped my ass!" Lelouch practically shrieked, a suggestion of hysteria and trauma in his voice.

"Yes, and if you had just ignored that little poke on the bottom we would have gotten our next shipment of flour for far cheaper," C.C. said in rebuttal, rolling her eyes as she held up the receipt. "As it is, we got charged full price."

"Well I'm sorry I'm not willing to sell my body to shave a few extra dollars," Lelouch muttered sulkily, crossing his arms. He gave her a suspicious look. "You brought me along knowing I would be sexually harassed, just so you could barter better, didn't you?"

C.C. hummed an innocent little tune.

"I hate you so much," Lelouch growled. "Can we just get the order now-"

The gears in his subconscious clicked, and the metaphorical light bulb flicked on in his mind.

He paused, tilting his head to the side, as though something had just dawned on him. "You… we're not going to get the order, are we?"

C.C. said nothing, looking away.

"Jeremiah is picking up the materials on his own. That's why we're here, so I wouldn't be able to follow him. So I wouldn't be in danger," Lelouch continued, crossing his arms, mouth set in a thin line. "Is that about right, C.C.?"

"What gave it away?" she asked, still not meeting his gaze.

"We've made a scene for ourselves just about everywhere we've gone. Even for a day out with you, that's unusual," Lelouch replied, frowning. "You want us to be seen. So that, just in case, no one can trace later events to us."

"Give the boy a prize," C.C. muttered, finally glancing back over at him. "Feeling clever?"

"Feeling annoyed," Lelouch responded tartly. "This was my decision, and-"

Whatever he was going to say faded away as he stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening.

C.C. glanced over at him. "What?" she followed his eyes, and her own mouth fell into a soft 'O', before she too stared.

There, in the alleyway between two of the buildings, was a Brittanian boy, barely older than twelve, with a can of spray paint and the half complete kanji of_ Jinchuu_ in massive bold lettering on the alley wall. The boy noticed their gazes, froze, and took off without a word, dropping the can to the ground with a loud clatter.

Lelouch only seemed to react to his surroundings again after the can had rolled all the way over and clunked against his foot.

"Vandalism really is tasteless," C.C. commented lightly, clasping her hands behind her back.

Lelouch remained silent.

"Why does this one vigilante bother you so much?" C.C. questioned, peering at him with an unreadable look. "Every time he's come up in the news or at school you get this look on your face…"

"It's because what he's doing is wrong," Lelouch hissed, voice low and dangerous. "Because someone who uses his power like this to enforce his own style of justice on the world is nothing more than a hypocrite."

C.C. raised an eyebrow wordlessly.

"Yes, the Empire uses power unilaterally," he said slowly, clenching his fists. "But then again, isn't that what he's doing? What does someone like that hope to accomplish, other than creating chaos and anarchy when he angers the Empire enough to strike harder? Does he even care that innocents will die as a result of his actions?"

Lelouch turned and started walking away from the symbol of _Jinchuu,_ a look of supreme disgust on his face.

"I will never acknowledge someone like that," he snarled, eyes flashing, "_Never._"

00000

Though Gino himself was one of them, Gino had never met any of the other district leaders before- it had been one of the rules of the BLF before, in order to protect everyone's identities and ensure leaks did not happen. He spoke directly to Calares, or to the base at Richmond which handled most of the logistical aspects of the London-based resistance movement, but never with anyone directly at his own level.

It was somewhat exciting, and nerve wracking, at the same time, to know he was leading a group much larger than his own little cell. As they filed in, Gino took stock of them, gauging them in turn as they studied him.

The first two were women- beautiful women, at that, something that honestly shocked Gino, though he supposed that since the Commander was also a relatively young woman that this must be more common than he anticipated. They were an interesting contrast to each other as well; the first was a severe looking dark skinned woman with raven hair and striking emerald eyes, while the other was paler, with blond hair that looked almost bleached white and a smile on her face that made her seem younger than she actually was.

"So you're the new boss, huh?" the blonde said, peering at him inquisitively, hands planted on her hips. Gino blinked, and she smiled. "Well, you're cuter than Calares, at least."

"Nonette, please, try to behave," the darker haired woman chided, sounding resigned, seating herself across from Gino with a sigh. "My apologies."

"Oh come on, Dorothea, liven up a little," 'Nonette' replied casually, shrugging her shoulders as she took her own seat.

The last one to walk in was a pale young man maybe a year or two younger than Kewell, with pale brown hair that bordered on beige. As he walked in, he moved towards Lord Darlton, who was standing, and clasped his hand firmly.

"Father," he greeted, to the surprise of most of the assembled.

"Claudio," Andreas Darlton replied warmly, smiling. "I'm glad you could make it. Please, take a seat."

"The others send their regards," Claudio informed him politely, taking his seat as he was bid.

"Well, it looks like everyone is assembled," Darlton said, turning towards the table. "I suppose introductions are in order."

"Dorothea Ernst," the dark haired woman said without preamble.

"Nonette Enneagram," the other woman said, and winked. "Just call me Nonette."

"Claudio S. Darlton," Claudio said softly, inclining his head.

"Well, I'm Gino. Gino Weinberg," Gino replied, scratching the back of his head somewhat nervously. "I guess I'm your new boss, huh."

Shirley rolled her eyes discretely. Rivalz chuckled under his breath.

"Perhaps we'd better get right down to business," Darlton said slowly, coughing. "As you all know, with the attack at Dartford we've begun a massive restructuring of the organization to prevent us from being isolated and destroyed."

"Do we have any leads on how they located the base?" Dorothea questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"None, yet, though I understand your concern that there may be a traitor in our midst," Darlton rumbled, and Gino felt a chill run down his spine. "Still, we can't go accusing anyone- not until we are sure."

Dorothea nodded, looking satisfied with the answer.

"But since it appears our previous methods have begun to fail us, we have arranged this face to face meeting of all the district cell leaders in order to begin coordinating a more serious resistance effort," Darlton continued, crossing his arms. "The Commander wishes for a greater degree of cooperation in the face of this new threat."

"I'm surprised at how skilled their commander is," Nonette commented, sounding amused. "He's quite young- but then again, so is Weinberg here." She laughed, and crossed her arms behind her head. "I suppose it's the new age, hmm?"

Gino blinked, uncertain if he was being teased or insulted.

"Consider it us upping the ante," Darlton quipped, chuckling dryly. "But yes, Kouzuki Naoto is a considerable threat, a league above the bumbling idiot of his predecessor. And his sister is extraordinarily skilled- she bested both myself and Guilford in moments."

Claudio's eyes widened. Nonette whistled.

"I suppose Cornelia had her hands full then," she commented airily.

Darlton nodded, his expression dark. "This Kouzuki Kallen is extremely good, and not to be underestimated."

"She was beaten though," Dorothea pointed out slowly, crossing her arms. "By this… _Jinchuu _character."

"Have we been in contact with him yet?" Claudio added questioningly.

Darlton shook his head. "Not yet. However," he continued, glancing over at Gino, "Weinberg and his men were the first ones to make contact with this man, and thus I believe they would be best to lead this discussion. Lord Weinberg, if you would?"

Gino straightened, and picked up where Darlton had left off. "So… uh… a few weeks ago we made a quick smash and grab at the docks, and whatever cargo we hit must have been pretty important because Kusakabe's entire division went after us. A lot of my men were hit, and things looked really bad…"

"When our golden mystery knight showed up to save the day," Nonette finished, raising an eyebrow. "So two weeks ago wasn't the first time he's showed up."

"No, it wasn't," Gino admitted, nodding. "I really wasn't sure how to explain that we were saved by a super-powered Knightmare out of nowhere, so I didn't mention it. Plus, I had a little more to worry about at the time."

"No harm, no foul," Nonette shrugged. "So we know he's at least not our enemy."

"He's a loose cannon," Dorothea pointed out darkly. "He's attacking seemingly at random, hitting military bases and civilian sites alike."

"He's attacking anyone he sees as hurting the Brittanian people," Claudio countered politely. "It may be that he really does only want to help."

"He claimed he was here to destroy the Empire," Darlton said slowly, tapping his finger against the wood of the meeting table. "That doesn't necessarily coincide with our own goals."

Shirley stiffened, and Gino frowned as she spoke, "What do you mean, it doesn't? Anyone who kills the Japanese is on our side, right?"

Darlton gave her a severe look. "Young lady, our goal is the restoration of Brittania. What we do to achieve that goal may involve killing, but if we abandon our goal of restoring our national rights we lose all honor, and become little more than mad dogs," he chided, his tone holding a touch of ice. "Why we pull the trigger is vastly more important than who we're pointing the gun at."

Shirley said nothing, setting her mouth in a thin line as she looked away.

"Shirley…" Gino began, but she stood, and walked out the door without another word.

"That one's a bit touchy," Nonette observed, a note of amusement in her voice. "Is that the one Cornelia has her eye on, Darlton?"

"It is," Darlton said, sounding a tad concerned. "Weinberg…"

"She lost her father in the Bloody Sunday riots," Gino said defensively, narrowing his eyes. "Can you blame her? She's not like most of us, who joined up for idealistic reasons- she's after her father's killers."

The others seemed taken aback by the sharpness of his tone, but Darlton nodded in acceptance.

"My apologies," he said softly. "I shouldn't judge. The girl must have gone through a lot. I… sometimes forget I'm not working with trained, of age soldiers all the time."

"Fenette is just as, if not more reliable than any trained soldier you have. You don't have to worry about her," Kewell interrupted, much to Gino's surprise- Kewell was fairly cool with everyone else in the organization, save for himself. "She was the one who saved us in the tunnels, after all."

"That's right," Rivalz agreed cheerfully, grinning.

Nonette chortled, smiling widely. "I can see why Cornelia picked him, Darlton- he and his crew have some spunk, it seems. Loyalty was always one of her pet virtues."

` "Yes, quite," Darlton muttered, a small smile on his own face. "Well, I suppose we should determine a plan of action in regards to this Jinchuu- since we've settled on the idea that he is not hostile, should we attempt to make an alliance with him?"

"I've offered him that," Gino informed them, nodding. "I told him he could contact me here, at Malory's. He hasn't yet, but the offer is on the table, at least."

"Looks like you're ahead of the curve then," Nonette noted, smiling again. "Looks like working with you is going to be a lot more interesting than that ass Calares."

Gino grinned. "I certainly hope so."

00000

"Does she suspect anything, Milly?" Suzaku asked quietly, as she entered his room, shutting the door behind her.

"She's just worried about you, that's all," Milly said in a placating tone of voice, shaking her head. "Though if you keep acting suspicious like this you're going to tip her or someone else off."

"I guess you're right," Suzaku muttered, and fell back on his bed, sighing. "I just wish I didn't have to keep it a secret- but I guess I'm pushing it already, what with Lloyd-san and Cecile-san also knowing."

Milly hummed and nodded. "They've kept their word though, and haven't said anything. And they've been helpful enough to get us Sakuradite fuel for the_ Caliburn_." Her lips twitched. "I bet you hadn't actually thought of how to resupply your little toy beforehand, did you?"

"I would have thought of something," Suzaku said defensively, scowling.

"Of course, Suzaku-sama," Milly agreed patronizingly. "Of course."

Suzaku rolled his eyes in annoyance, but gave up trying to argue, changing topics.

"Where's Euphie, by the way? I haven't seen her all day," Suzaku commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I sent her out for groceries."

Suzaku jerked up from his bed, eyes wide as the blood drained from his face. "O-out? You mean… you sent her outside? Alone? Milly!"

"Oh, relax," Milly chided, pushing him back down onto the bed with a look of resigned annoyance. "I've taken her out any number of times to shop for groceries. She'll be fine, Suzaku-sama."

"Milly, I found her bound and gagged, about to be used for some sick science experiment!" Suzaku reminded her irritably, struggling to push himself back up- unfortunately, Milly had yet to relinquish her hold.

"Exactly- you can't just keep her locked up in this mansion like a prisoner, Suzaku-sama," Milly responded patiently, pursing her lips. "She wants to be a normal girl, or at least pretend to be one- so let her have some freedom."

Suzaku looked reluctant to agree, frowning.

"And if it makes you feel better, I did send a few of your guards to tail her. They're rather fond of her, like a cute little sister, so I'm sure she'll be fine," Milly added, and Suzaku's frown deflated as he shot her an annoyed look.

"You love riling me up, don't you?" he groaned, falling back fully into his bed, hand over his eyes.

"Perish the thought, master," Milly said, sounding completely and utterly innocent.

A knock at the door brought an end to the back and forth quips, and the door creaked open as Kallen poked her head in, looking hesitant.

"Suzaku?" she called out, finding him on his bed, Milly standing over him with a teasing look. "Do you have a minute?"

Milly gave him a significant look, which he ignored, and nodded, managing a small smile. "Of course."

00000

"And… um… now I need to make a right at… oh shoot, where is that list," Euphemia muttered, picking at the pockets of her maid outfit, trying to remember where she stuffed the shopping list Milly had given her, which also happened to hold the directions to the store. When her pockets turned out empty, she bit her lip worriedly. "Oh no…"

"Is there a problem, little lady?"

Euphemia's head jerked up, and her eyes met the wide, too white smile of an older man standing over her.

"Oh… um… hello," Euphemia said politely, bowing her head. "I just lost something of mine, that's all."

"Well that's no good," the man leered, wrapping an arm around her. "Why don't I help you look?"

Euphemia squirmed. "I… um…"

"Come on, sweetheart," he urged, pushing her against him a little roughly, "That maid outfit of yours makes it impossible for me to leave you alone, so how about we-"

A strange feeling began surging through her body, a tingling in her fingertips-

"Oi, creep, let go of her!"

The man turned around, just in time for his form to crumple around the fist of a strawberry blonde haired girl, around Euphemia's own age.

As he fell away, the girl turned towards Euphemia with an annoyed look. "You've got to be careful, you know- guys like that don't listen to reason," she chided, peering at her. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," Euphemia said nervously, nodding. "Thank you for helping me."

"No problem," the other girl replied, shrugging. "What were you looking for, anyways?"

"My shopping list," Euphemia explained, glancing around now with a worried look. "I was supposed to order a few more things to be delivered… but I without the directions on the list I don't know if I can find the grocery store."

The girl pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. "Do you want some help?"

"I… would you really?" Euphemia asked, blinking in surprise.

"I need to clear my head anyways," came the casual reply, shrugging. "By the way, my name's Shirley."

"Euphemia," she said softly, smiling as she bowed her head. "It's nice to meet you, Shirley-san."

00000

"So what did you need from me?" Suzaku asked.

Kallen didn't reply. They had reached the small gardens that hid Suzaku's mansion from the hustle and bustle of the city of London, and had been walked outside for a few minutes in companionable silence.

"Kallen?" Suzaku said softly, glancing over at her worriedly. "Look, I'm sorry about this morning. It's been a rough few weeks, and…"

He trailed off as Kallen stopped mid stride- they were now standing next to the koi pond in the gardens, the fish idly splashing by in the afternoon sun.

"Kallen?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Finally responding to his words, Kallen turned and gazed at him with an unreadable expression. She took a step towards him, and Suzaku briefly resisted the urge to take a step back- this was Kallen, after all, his oldest friend. He trusted her.

He regretted that trust an instant later when she placed her hands on his chest and toppled him over into the koi pond unceremoniously.

"Pffft… what the hell Kallen!" Suzaku sputtered- the koi pond was barely a meter deep, hardly anything threatening, but his clothes were now soaked and the fish certainly were not happy.

Kallen only laughed, voice high and clear like morning bells, and Suzaku narrowed his eyes.

"What is wrong with you-"

He paused, as a memory returned to him, an image of a Kallen from seven years ago standing over him in much the same position, laughing as he pulled himself out of a koi pond.

"This… this is what you did to me when I came back from Brittania, after the war," Suzaku said slowly, giving her a dubious look. "You wanted me to stop sulking and cool off."

"I hoped you would remember," she said, sound pleased as she clasped her hands behind her back with a mischievous grin. "The look on your face is as priceless as ever."

"Well I hope you didn't forget what happened next," Suzaku reminded her, and her eyes widened, just in time for her to notice Suzaku's hand clasping her ankle as he dragged her into the pond with her.

"You jerk!" Kallen sputtered, spitting out a bit of water and wiping away water from her eyes. "That wasn't fair!"

To punctuate her point, she splashed at him, sending water at his eyes in a counterattack.

"You pushed me first!" Suzaku retorted, sending a wave of water back at her.

"I was doing it to help you, jerk!" she shot back, narrowing her eyes, and splashed at him again, and soon enough they had degenerated into childish taunts and hitting each other with waves of water.

_Wait… what the hell am I doing?_ Suzaku realized, and it seemed Kallen had realized it as well, as her lips twitched and she broke out into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

She laughed, and Suzaku couldn't help but laugh along with her, with the absurdity of the situation of two of the highest ranking nobles in the Empire bickering like children and splashing each other.

And it felt good, to laugh like that again, he had to admit. It felt like it had been years since he had a good honest laugh like this.

"There we go," Kallen said softly, a gleam in her eyes as she stood up. "I haven't heard a real laugh out of you since I got here. I was starting to think you'd forgotten."

"Things have just been… busy, that's all" Suzaku muttered, shaking his head. "Can you help me up already? I'm pretty sure it'll look really bad for us to just be standing around in a pond. I know the groundskeepers are going to be pissed off as is."

Kallen smiled and nodded, clasping his hand and pulling him to his feet. As he returned to his feet, she murmured softly, "Look… I don't know how to help you stop worrying about all this. Or how to ask you what's wrong. But… I wanted you to remember we are still friends, even if a little childhood trick like this might be all you remember

She squeezed his fingers comfortingly- though whether that was to reassure herself or him, it wasn't clear. "Promise me that won't change, Suzaku."

Suzaku hesitated only for a moment, as he thought of the possibility of them clashing in battle unknowingly again, but it faded as a new certainty took hold of him. Whatever his duties as _Jinchuu _were, he, Kururugi Suzaku, valued Kallen, and he was not going to abandon that relationship.

"Never," he swore, and meant it.

00000

"So where are we off to now?" C.C. questioned, trailing a step behind him, arms crossed behind her head. "It's obvious you don't intend to go back to the bakery and attempt to follow Jeremiah to the meeting point."

"There's no point," Lelouch muttered. "He's a trained soldier- following him would be pointless."

"Then what are we doing here, Lelouch? Why are we still in this district?" C.C. asked critically, raising an eyebrow.

"I need to find a phone," he replied glibly, flashing her an impudent smile.

C.C. blinked, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. "Fine, keep your secrets I suppose," she murmured, "I'll just-"

A sharp sensation suddenly interrupted her speaking, a flash at the edges of the unnatural sixth sense provided to her by her Code- the same sensation as that day in the Underground.

She whirled about, using her eyes to try and confirm what her supernatural senses were telling her.

_Where is it? Where is this sensation coming from? _

Her gaze was almost feverish in its hurried manner. Unfortunately, this was a busy area, and the countless number of people milling to and fro were making it nearly impossible to-

A flash of pink hair, far away in the distance caught her eye, and the sensation magnified.

_THERE._

Without thinking, C.C. practically sprinted forward, a pressing feeling in her gut- a sense of wrongness that she had to pursue.

She was going to find answers today.

00000

"You've gone awfully quiet," Lelouch observed, glancing backwards, "Are you that upset I'm keeping secrets-"

He trailed off, eyes widening as he realized he was talking to empty space.

"C.C.?" he called out, gazing around with a frown. "Damn it, where did that witch wander off to?"

He considered calling her cell phone, but thought better of it- C.C. probably had her own reasons for wandering off, and wouldn't bother to answer him. And even if she really had gotten separated from him, the amount of teasing he would receive from calling her wasn't really worth the effort.

Instead, he glanced around, trying to determine if there was any place he could use a phone for his intended purposes. A name on a billboard caught his eye, and a brief smile crossed his face as he entered the pub called Malory's, expecting to see Cardemonde at the bar- but there was only the bartender of seemingly indeterminable middle age, calmly wiping one of the bottles down with a clean rag.

Still, it suited his purposes well enough.

"Excuse me, sir," Lelouch said softly, walking up to the bar. "May I use your phone?"

The bartender wordlessly pulled up a cordless telephone from underneath the bar, and placed it on the counter.

"Thank you," Lelouch said gratefully, nodding and smiling in thanks, as he turned-

And accidentally bumped into someone else, almost dropping the phone from the unexpected force of the impact.

"Whoops!" came the apologetic tone of the person he'd bumped into, a blonde haired young man maybe a year older than himself, who steadied Lelouch. "Sorry about that man."

"It's no problem," Lelouch said politely, shaking his head. "Please, excuse me."

As the blonde stepped aside with a smile and a nod, and Lelouch stepped past him, he heard the blonde speak to the bartender gregariously, "Yo Mac. Some refreshments, please for everyone in the back- and where the heck is Red?"

The bartender's barely audible grunt was the last thing Lelouch heard before he made his way to a deserted corner and punched in a number he had memorized in preparation for just this day.

It rang twice.

00000

Minami didn't even look up from his paperwork as he picked up the phone, placing it against his ear. "Major Minami here."

"Ah, Major. Good to hear you're well."

He shot out of his chair so fast that it nearly toppled over, and his eyes went wide. "Y-You?"

"Yes," the voice murmured, a touch of amusement in his voice. "Me. And I have a proposal for you, Major, if you'll hear me out."

Minami hesitated, before finally replying, "I'm listening."

00000

"So, Shirley-san…" Euphemia began, but was cut off.

"Just Shirley is fine," she interrupted, shrugging. "I really don't care much for these honorifics."

She tried constantly to avoid using them, except at school, where it was far too suspicious in such a Japanese-heavy environment to not use them. But here, and now, she was free to be herself.

"Oh… okay, Shirley," Euphemia said, strengthening her tone as she questioned, "So, what were you doing before you helped me? I'm not taking you away from anything important, am I?"

Shirley shrugged. "Not really," she said casually, thinking of the meeting back at Malory's. "I was just taking a walk to clear my head, like I said. How about you? You said you were doing some shopping, but I don't see any bags…"

"Oh, well, I was told to have them sent over, but I needed to go in personally and make the orders in person," she answered simply.

"I guess that makes sense, but what's with the maid outfit?" Shirley asked curiously, peering over at Euphemia, giving her clothing a doubtful look. "Walking around London like that is just asking for trouble."

"It's my uniform," the other girl replied simply, smiling.

Shirley raised an eyebrow.

"Weird," she muttered, but shrugged. "So you're a maid, huh? Why'd you choose that?"

"I… didn't," Euphemia answered hesitantly. "My… my master saved me. He found me, and rescued me, and I had nowhere else to go."

Shirley frowned, casting a questioning look at her. "So he made you be a servant?" Her tone of voice sounding almost outraged.

"He didn't make me!" Euphemia corrected, a little sharply, as she crossed her arms.

"But it sounds like all he did was pick you up off the street," Shirley said doubtfully. "If he's such a nice guy, why doesn't he let you go?"

"He never said I couldn't go," came the stubborn reply.

"Then why don't you? You could stop being a servant, and-" Shirley was cut off as Euphemia's chin jutted out defiantly, and the pink-haired girl planted her fists on her hips.

The change in demeanor from the shy, hesitant maid to this more vibrant young woman was surprising to Shirley, who actually fell back a step in surprise.

"I don't leave because… because I don't mind being the maid… because it lets me be close to him," she admitted, "He promised to protect me, and that's why I stay."

As she finished, Euphemia's cheeks went red, and she slapped her hands over her mouth as if shocked at her own words.

"Oh," Shirley said in realization, and she suddenly felt completely at a loss. All her time spent fighting in the rebellion, making decisions like an adult, and the mere discussion of something that should have been normal for a teenage girl, like crushes, made her feel as utterly lost as a child.

"Haven't you ever felt like that, Shirley?" Euphemia asked curiously, starting to overcome her own embarrassment. "That you just wanted to be near someone else, because they helped make you feel safe?"

"W-W-Why is this suddenly about me?" Shirley said, startled, feeling her own cheeks coloring, practically burning with embarrassment. "That's a little personal, don't you think?"

"But you were asking me those kinds of questions," Euphemia pointed out, her tone utterly innocent, her eyes wide and trusting in a manner that couldn't be faked.

"I… well… that is to say…" Shirley stammered, and started glancing around frantically, willing some kind of distraction to appear to get this uncomfortable topic as far away from herself as possible.

And, as luck would have it, she found one.

"Here's the grocery store," Shirley announced, grateful at the lucky save, gesturing for Euphemia to move towards the store. "You can handle it from here, right?"

"Oh… thank you," Euphemia said gratefully, and unexpected clasped Shirley's hands warmly. "Thank you so much for helping me."

Shirley flushed, embarrassed by the effusive praise. "I-It's nothing, really," she said quickly, and shrugged out of Euphemia's grasp with an uncomfortable wiggle. "I'm just doing what anyone else would have done."

Euphemia shook her head, smiling with a look of such sincerity that Shirley was taken aback. "No, you are a very nice person, Shirley. I can tell. You're like my master- you do the right thing."

And with that, she bowed, waved goodbye, and went into the store, leaving Shirley standing in the street.

"A nice person, huh?" Shirley muttered, glancing down at her hands. She wondered what Euphemia would have thought if she knew that only an hour ago Shirley had advocated merciless killings to satisfy her own anger.

Would she still see her as a 'nice person'?

_"I used to think like you do, Shirley-san. I used to think that you could do good with anger in your heart- I know in your heart you hate the Japanese for what they've done. But all that does is hurt others. What is necessary to change the world, to make things better, is not anger."_

Shirley frowned, and turned on her heel.

Why was she thinking of Lelouch now, of all people, and remembering about his childishly idealistic words of peace?

00000

C.C. frowned as she turned a corner to find another crowded street and a large grocery store. She had mastered a lot of skills over the course of her centuries of life, but unfortunately tracking people had not been one of them, not in this kind of context anyway.

The sensation still tingled in her unnatural sixth sense, but it was fading rapidly, as though the presence was withdrawing from her "range".

Was it gone? Or had it simply spiked for a moment, and then quickly hidden its presence once more upon noticing her arrival?

Either way, C.C. had the sinking feeling she was losing her target.

But still… there had to be something.

As if in answer to her thoughts, her eyes fixated on a single familiar figure moving away from the grocery store, and with a few quick steps C.C. stood in her way, and called out.

"Well, well. Fancy seeing you here, Shirley-san," C.C. said coolly, raising an eyebrow.

Shirley's eyes widened, before settling into a neutral mask. "C.C.-san," she said tersely, her tone controlled. "Doing some shopping?"

"Of course I am," C.C. answered smoothly, smiling generically. "How about you, Shirley-san? Just taking in the fresh autumn air?"

Shirley reflexively pulled her jacket over herself as a chill wind passed by, highlighting the coldness in their conversation. "Why yes, I was, C.C.-san," Shirley said, her voice poisonously sweet.

"Good to hear you're feeling well," C.C. nodded, smile tightening. "Were you alone?"

Shirley paused, considering the question- the tone of voice in the green haired girl's voice made it clear that she already knew the answer. The question was… why did C.C. care?

"Yes," Shirley lied, smiling right back. "I was alone."

"Is that right," C.C. said slowly, fixing her gaze on Shirley, who met it fearlessly.

"Is that all, C.C.-san?" Shirley asked, and without waiting for an answer, pushed her way past the green haired girl. "I need to be going then."

As she passed, however, she heard C.C.'s voice.

_If you are the one I sensed, and you hurt him, I will not show you mercy._

It was only after she had left that Shirley realized C.C. lips hadn't moved, and that her ears were not what registered the voice.

00000

"Is this it?" Lelouch asked softly, as he stepped into Jeremiah's room, glancing at the number of innocuous brown packages littered on the ready-made bed.

Jeremiah turned, and had the grace to flushed slightly as he bowed his head contritely. "Lelouch-sama… my apologies, but I could not risk your safety. The men I contacted… I do not know if I could fully trust them, and if it was traced back to you…"

"I know, I know," Lelouch said dismissively, eyes still fixed on the packages. Quietly, almost reverently, he reached into one, and removed the oblong object inside.

"So, we are set on this course, my lord," Jeremiah murmured, eyes fixed on the object in Lelouch's hands.

Lelouch glanced over at him with an unreadable look. "No doubts, Jeremiah?"

Jeremiah shook his head, and knelt in the classic pose of knightly fealty. "None, my lord. Your will is mine."

Lelouch's throat tightened, and he looked away. "Your loyalty is… commendable, Jeremiah. It truly is."

"So your foolish game will begin tonight, then," C.C.'s voice drifted into the room, and the two men turned to see her standing in the doorway, a dark look on her face.

"The decision is mine," Lelouch asserted stubbornly.

C.C. looked as though she was about to say something, but in the end closed her mouth and looked away. "Very well. Do what you must," she said quietly, and left.

"What I must," Lelouch repeated, and glanced down at the mask in his hands. Yes, that was what this was. Not any kind of heroism, but simply something he had to do, to make amends for his own sins.

00000

He stood alone, taking a deep, unsteady breath. Briefly, he placed his hands on his chest, checking the body armor he had secured on underneath his suit jacket, and the gun holstered in his pocket.

Was he really about to do this? He had never been the warrior, not like Cornelia, or the strategist, like Schneizel, or even… he swallowed, and shook his head. No, he couldn't doubt. He had read the lines, seen the Empire's control of his country tearing at the seams. Now was the time.

"Not having doubts, are you?" came a slow, mocking voice.

With a regal look of dismissive annoyance, he fixed the other man with a dark look. "Don't speak to me like that," he spat. "You are working for me, Luciano, and you should remember the difference in our stations."

"That difference will only exist if you succeed," Luciano replied with a grin, before adding mockingly, "My lord."

And with that, the man bowed, and left.

"Arrogant bastard," he seethed, clenching his white-gloved fists. It galled him that he had to work with slime like Luciano- but the man was a killer, and knew killers. His own hired guns had doubled in number and deadliness since Luciano had joined.

Now was the time, he assured himself. Seven years of hiding, biding his time, and now he would strike a blow for his fallen country. And with this start, surely his siblings would rally under his banner, and together they could retake the Empire- and on that day, he would be acknowledged as the one who had done it all.

_Clovis La Brittania, Ninety-Ninth Emperor of Brittania_, he though, and smiled. Yes, that was a dream worth fighting for.

00000

"There better be a good reason for this meeting, Major," Naoto warned Minami slowly, looking utterly exhausted as he plopped down on the lead chair. Except for the light just above the table, the rest of the conference room was utterly dark. "Especially one called at this kind of hour, and one you asked for total blackout security, meaning even the Prince is unaware of this."

"Thank you, by the way," Minami said quietly. "For that. I wasn't sure if you would actually listen to me when I asked you to do all this."

Naoto managed a small, indulgent smile. "For what it's worth, I do like you, Major. I think you're a good officer, and I'm not the kind of commander who dismisses what his subordinates have to say."

"Onii-chan, admit it- you're just lazy so you rely on your subordinates," Kallen called out teasingly, from the chair opposite to his own. She glanced over at Sancia, seated to Naoto's direct right, and smiled. "Sancia-san here does all your work, after all."

"Brat," Naoto muttered, sounding annoyed in a good natured way. "You're lucky I even let you follow me into this meeting."

"It's not like you can stop me," Kallen reminded him sweetly. "I have the Emperor's authority here."

"Hmph. A scary, scary thought, since I remember a time when you used to cry for hours unless I gave you a piggy-back ride to the park to get taiyaki," Naoto shot back, grinning as Kallen flushed.

"I-I was five," Kallen said defiantly, crossing her arms. "And you're exaggerating."

Naoto chuckled.

"Quit laughing, Onii-chan," Kallen growled. "And could someone turn on the lights already?"

"Certainly, Kouzuki Kallen-sama."

The lights flicked on, and everyone in the room suddenly realized there had been a fifth person standing in the corner the entire time.

The shocking presence of the voice's owner jarred everyone in the room, save Minami, and Kallen was halfway out of her chair, crouched in a self-defense position. Naoto himself hadn't gotten out of his chair, but his hand was resting on the butt of his service pistol.

"My apologies for startling you," came the distorted voice, and he stepped closer into the light so they could get a better look at his form.

The figure's form was shockingly white, swathed as it was in an ivory cloak trimmed with black that concealed most of the physical features of the body. The figure's arms were up in a gesture of peace, covered entirely by a length of a blue body-suit and white gloves that matched the cloak. Naoto guessed that the rest of the body was covered in similar material.

But it was the mask that caught his eyes. It was white as the rest of the ensemble, save for the one-way mirror reflective surface on the faceplate, and lacked any sort of angles at all, with the back jutting out a little farther to accommodate the figure's head, giving the figure an aura of ethereality.

Staring into it, Naoto saw only his own reflection, as though the figure within was a nameless, soulless being who had fallen from grace and locked themselves in this faceless form. He shivered at that thought.

"Who in the hell are you?" he asked, before he could help himself.

"My name… is Rei," came the reply, still distorted by the mask, which undoubtedly contained a voice filter. "Please, sit, Kallen-sama. I do not mean you or anyone else here harm."

The possibilities of meaning in the name came to Naoto in a flash. Rei, as in a ghost? Rei, as in a companion? Or even Rei as zero? Whatever the case, the name was obviously an alias, and one chosen for a reason.

"This man is the reason why the battle in the Underground wasn't a total rout," Minami cut in slowly, and Naoto fixed him with a piercing stare. "I wasn't the one directing the strategy after the Colonel died."

"You did that?" Naoto questioned, raising an eyebrow at the masked figure, who nodded. Despite himself, Naoto was impressed. "I've read the After Action Reports. The tactics were superb, and under the circumstances you acted swiftly and decisively. So I'll ask again, who in the hell are you?"

"I am a man who has come to you with a proposition, Commander," Rei replied, a note of humor in his voice.

"I'm listening," Naoto said patiently, though his mouth was set in a thin line.

Rei reached into his cloak, and everyone in the room reflexively tensed. But he removed only a single manila folder from the confines of the cape, which he threw casually onto the table, within Naoto's grasp.

"What's this?" Naoto questioned, flicking his gaze up at the white-garbed figure as he opened the folder.

"A list of probable sites that_ Jinchuu_ will attack next, listed in order of the actual probability of his attacking them. I calculated it out by either the frequency of suspicious shipments going through, possibly indicating the presence of 'Reaper', or by the reputation of the officers at the military bases," Rei informed him casually. "Also in that folder are a number of places I've indicated as likely strongholds of the Brittanian Liberation Front, based on a number of variables, such as holding capacity, access to the Underground, frequency of terrorist attacks in the region, and the level of control the Empire has in the region."

Naoto was stunned. He himself had considered doing something similar to this, but the level of research and the required amounts of intelligence necessary to process all that information was daunting.

"And… what, you're just here to give us this?" Kallen asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. "Why didn't you just come forward like a normal person?"

"And would you listen if I hadn't made such a dramatic entrance, Kallen-sama?" Rei questioned neutrally. "I have my reasons for coming to you like this. I do, however, have a request to make."

"Which is?" Naoto folded his hands and narrowed his gaze at Rei.

"A level of control over the investigations, and tactical command over the actual battles with _Jinchuu_ and the BLF," Rei said, and it was as though a bomb had dropped in the room.

Minami went pale. Sancia's eyebrows threatened to move off her face if they raised any higher.

Kallen actually stood up from her chair, face red with fury. "What the hell are you saying? You think my brother's just going let our soldiers be led into a trap by some creep in a mask?"

"Kallen," Naoto said in warning, and she turned towards him with a pleading look.

"Onii-chan, this is crazy," Kallen said disbelievingly. "Don't tell me you're actually listening to him."

"Everyone out. Leave me with him for a minute," Naoto said in reply, ignoring his sister's gaze, staring straight at Rei unblinkingly.

Minami and Sancia both stood, and moved towards the door, albeit hesitantly. Kallen, however, stood in place.

Naoto glanced over at her, meeting her gaze calmly. "Please, Kallen," he said softly. "Trust me."

After a moment, Kallen relented, but not before she looked over at Rei and said threateningly, "I'll be right outside. If you so much as touch my brother, I'll kill you."

Once they were alone, the door firmly shut behind them, Naoto said quietly, "I'm sorry about that. She's…"

"There's no need to apologize," Rei interrupted calmly. "She loves you. There's no shame in family protecting each other."

Naoto blinked at that, before he smiled slightly and nodded. The moment faded, and his face returned to a more serious expression. "Now then… please, take off your mask, and show me who you really are," he commanded, and leveled his pistol at Rei. "Please."

Rei looked caught, and for a moment, Naoto worried that the man would try something, would attempt to reverse the situation. He tensed as Rei's white-gloved hands began to move, and even as those hands settled over the mask, reaching to the back to press some recessed buttons hidden in the back and allowing it to be released, his gun never wavered.

It was only when the face of the man beneath the mask was revealed that Naoto's gun wavered, and only then, because of just how young Rei really was.

"There," the young man said quietly. "I have done as you asked. Now, will you lower the gun?"

"Who are you?" Naoto questioned. He didn't lower the gun.

"My name… is Lelouch Lamperouge," came the reply. "But I was born under a different name, as Lelouch Vi Brittania, Eleventh Prince of the Brittanian Empire."

00000

Taking off the mask had been a calculated gamble, Lelouch admitted, but not one he had not considered. Kouzuki Naoto was regarded as a little eccentric and very young for his position, but he was no fool. Blind trust was not something he would give. Thankfully, Lelouch's other gamble- that they would be alone when the request to remove the mask game- also held true.

Kallen's presence was unexpected, and Lelouch had felt terribly conflicted upon seeing her- he had hoped not to alert her to his presence, lest things grow more complicated than they already were.

But she too was not in the room, and Naoto and his gun still were.

"… this is why you have the mask, isn't it?" Naoto asked, but his question was obviously rhetorical. "You're ashamed to show your face as one of the former royalty of Brittania. But you know, if you did show your face, you could be a powerful symbol-"

"I can't," Lelouch interrupted, shaking his head. His fingers trembled. "I… I am not just another member of the Brittanian Imperial Family. There are sins in my past that prevent me from being that symbol- if word of my involvement reached certain ears, the fallout would be… disastrous. Not just to me, but to you, and to Kallen-san."

"You're familiar with my sister?" Naoto questioned, raising an eyebrow, but once again, he seemed to answer his own question. "You go to the same school as her, don't you? And… I've heard your name before, actually- you were Suzaku's friend."

"I _am _Suzaku's friend," Lelouch corrected, and nodded, a faint smile on his face. "I had hoped not to come into contact with Kallen-san yet, till we had formalized our deal. I am at least glad Suzaku is not here."

"Why hide your identity from your friends as well?" Naoto blinked, looking confused. "Your enemies I can understand, but…"

Lelouch shook his head. "Suzaku would only worry. I can't bring that kind of problem on him. And Kallen-san… like I said, if word of my involvement got out, things could be bad, especially for a known half-blood like her."

"What exactly have you done that is so bad?" Naoto asked curiously.

"I…" Lelouch hesitated, and something of the memories he was trying to suppress must have shown through, because Naoto's features softened.

"Nevermind," he said dismissively. "That's not important right now. So tell me, why are you doing all this?" he asked, gesturing towards the folder chock-full of information that some of the best analysts on his staff hadn't even come close to matching. "Why help the Empire which conquered your country?"

"Because I don't believe waging a war against the Empire would bring the dead back," Lelouch answered firmly. "I would rather this country settle into peace and prosperity while conquered than be torn apart in a conflict that will kill thousands."

Naoto was obviously taken aback by the force of the conviction in his tone, but swiftly recovered.

"Very well," he murmured, and held out his hand. "You've got yourself a deal, Lelouch-san. I will give you what you asked for."

"Just Lelouch will be fine, Naoto-san," Lelouch replied, a touch of warmth in his voice.

"Then Naoto will do as well. If I'm trusting you with the lives of my men, I'll trust you with my name," the commander responded, matching Lelouch's tone.

A sudden, urgent knocking on the door shook both men out of the moment, and Lelouch hastily put the mask back on. Once Naoto was sure Lelouch's identity was secure, he opened the door, to reveal a panicked Kallen.

"Terrorists!" Kallen said loudly, grabbing her brother's arms. "They took control of the _Kojiki _airport in London! They're holding everyone in there hostage, and have got the whole building locked down!"

"Shit," Naoto cursed, and glanced over at him.

"There's more," Kallen said softly, and glanced furtively at Lelouch's masked form.

"Just say it, Kallen," Naoto said impatiently. "I trust him."

Kallen gave her brother a dubious look, but told them just what was the real problem.

Lelouch felt his blood run cold. Naoto's face looked gray and death-like.

"Get every available unit," Naoto barked. "I want the regiment mobilized and ready to act, and I want it three hours ago!"

Kallen moved to obey her brother, when Lelouch spoke.

"Naoto-san. Let me handle this."

Kallen shot him a deadly look. "Didn't you hear me, you idiot?" she said scathingly. "This isn't just some terrorist attack. They have-"

"That's why I said to let me handle this," Lelouch interrupted, fixing his gaze at Naoto, who met his eyes through the mask with an unreadable look. He prayed that the older man would understand. "I can resolve this. You just have to trust me."

"I don't," Kallen informed him bluntly, but Naoto put a restraining hand on her shoulder and squeezed, rubbing his forehead with his other hand.

"Fine," Naoto said quietly. "I trust you… Rei."

The rest of the sentence was left to be held in silence, but Lelouch understood nonetheless.

_So don't screw this up. _

Despite himself, Lelouch felt a thrill in his stomach.

It was time.

"I won't let you down," Lelouch promised.

Author's Notes

Title paraphrased from the Eagles song "On The Border", with the full line being "Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order, I'm tryin' to change this water to wine" which I felt was a pretty accurate description on what this chapter was about. Plus the Eagles are awesome.

Milly is my favorite character to write dialogue for, ever.

Originally I picked Rei only because it's the Japanese equivalent of Zero, but since then I've learned several other Kanji with that same reading.

Reversing Kallen's attitude towards Lelouch's masked vs unmasked personas was probably one of the most entertaining switches I've ever done in this story.

P.S. Why yes, Tenacious D came up on my iTunes while writing this. Why do you ask?


	10. Chapter 9: The Beast Stirs

_Maybe, life is like a ride on the freeway  
Dodging bullets while you're trying to find your way  
Everyone's around, but no one does a damn thing  
It brings me down, but I won't let them_

-"Staring At The Sun", The Offspring

Chapter 9

The Beast Stirs

_TOP SECRET EYES ONLY_

_Odin-level Clearance required by order of [REDACTED]_

_October 3__rd__, 2017:_

_ Transcript of Project: Balor Beta Experiment at Site [REDACTED]_

_ Ground Control: Ground Control to Major Tom. Ground Control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on. Commencing countdown, engines on. Check ignition, and may God's love be with you. _

_ Major [REDACTED]: Major Tom to Ground Control. I'm stepping through the door. [Pause] Beginning shakedown sequence of the Homunculus Drive. All conditions green. Initializing. _

_ Ground Control: We read you, Major. Everything checks out on our end. Time to begin phase two. _

_ Major [REDACTED]: Understood, Ground Control. _

_ Ground Control: Start slowly. Deep breaths, and focus only on a single emotion. Any emotion will do. [Pause] No reaction. Are you focusing, Major? _

_ Major [REDACTED]: I… I can't. This is… just too ridiculous. I'm sorry, Ground Control, but… _

_ Ground Control: We understand, major. This is brand new technology, and you are the first to really make the grade. When this is over, the papers will want to know what shirt you wore today. Now, focus. Let's try something simple- you're married. Think of your wife. _

_ Major [REDACTED]: Okay, Ground Control. [pause] _

_ Ground Control: Just breathe, major. Breathe. _

_ Major [REDACTED]: I… _

_ [Rumbling]_

_ Ground Control: Well done, Major! We're getting a reaction from the Homunculus Drive. _

_ [Long pause] _

_ Major [REDACTED]: I'm… I'm floating in a most peculiar way. Planet earth is blue… and there's nothing I can do. _

_ Ground Control: What was that? _

_ Major [REDACTED]: [static]_

_ Ground Control: Major, report. _

_ Major [REDACTED]: It's in my head! Oh God, it's in my head- please, make it stop! Please- [incoherent screams, sounds of violent thrashing]_

_ Ground Control: Jesus Christ, these readings… Major! Get ahold of yourself! _

_ Major [REDACTED]: [continued ravings, screams]_

_ Ground Control: Shut down the damn machine! _

_ [rumbling ceases, silence]_

_Major [REDACTED]: [hoarsely] Major Tom to Ground Control… I… Tell my wife I love her very much… _

_ [Silence]_

_ Ground Control: Ground Control to Major Tom, your circuit's dead, there's something wrong. Can you hear me Major Tom? Can you hear me Major Tom? Damn it, someone get a medic down there now- _

_ [static]_

_ [REDACTED]: Cancel that order._

_ Ground Control: But sir, he's-_

_ [REDACTED]: Utterly insane, and now comatose. The mental contamination is too great to undo, Doctor. You know that. _

_ Ground Control: [pause] Understood. We'll transfer him to a secure wing at our private facility in [REDACTED]._

_ [REDACTED]: Make sure to erase any evidence of his identity on his person, and list the Major as MIA in our records. As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, the Major died fighting in Egypt, understood? This never happened. _

As his eyes finished scrolling down the page, the man in the chair behind the desk barked out a short, harsh laugh. He was a bear of a man, with graying, shaggy hair that made him looked like an aged warrior.

His companion, a slim, younger man in an impeccable business suit, eyed him with a confused look. "I thought you'd be displeased. The test of the Homunculus Drive three days ago went…"

"As expected," interrupted the first man, still smiling humorlessly. "There are few who can stand the biological-synchronous link with the machine."

"Are we sure it's necessary for Balor?" the other asked curiously.

"It will not function otherwise, Assistant Director," came the icy reply. "When we began this project, we agreed the mental contamination risk was acceptable when you compare the potential of this new technology."

"Is it the serum?" the man in the suit questioned. "The reports from your man in the field seem to show promise, but we've yet to try it out in a more suitable condition -"

"That's not quite true," the first man interrupted again, the note of grim humor in his voice returning. "As we speak, Luciano is conducting a test of his own."

The Assistant Director raised an eyebrow. "A test? You're saying the incident in Brittania right now is…"

"A test of the serum's effectiveness in the field," the gray-haired man agreed. "We'll see how it compares to the projected results."

The Assistant Director took a step back, face looking pale. "Your man engineered a hostage situation involving hundreds of lives to cover up a simple experiment?"

"We're determined," he smirked, and his eyes shined with the clear, burning light of a fanatic. "Is there a problem? It's all For Science, after all, is it not? Just think of the advances the Institute will have made at the completion of the Balor- all the power the Federation will have at its disposal."

The man in the suit swallowed, throat tight, and said nothing.

The gray haired man chuckled. "Don't worry, Assistant Director. The blood will be on our hands, not yours, if it frightens you that badly."

00000

"Mommy…" a child sobbed in the background, while her mother whispered gentle comforts to her daughter.

"Quiet the girl down," one of his hired guns growled, but it was without malice- they weren't the terrorists you saw on the television, loose cannons with even looser trigger fingers. Each and every one of them was a battle-hardened veteran, either loyal to the household of La Brittania or, more commonly, bought from various mercenary groups. They wouldn't threaten them, but just the sound of their voices was enough to scare the people back into submission.

Clovis felt a moment of regret as he walked through the once crowded airport, its patrons now sequestered into several groups separated into several isolated rooms, secured by five armed men each.

Children. He wished this didn't have to involve children. It wasn't good for anyone- nothing got the public more riled up than harming children, and Clovis himself found the idea distasteful. It just made things… messy.

He banished the moment with his favorite fantasy of his fulfilled ambitions, the idea of taking the mantle of the Emperor around his shoulders, sitting upon the throne of the Emperors of Brittania which was now left only in a museum in London. The regret was drowned in a flood of euphoria as he imagined the looks on the faces of his siblings as they knelt before the throne- _his_ throne. Even Schneizel, for all his brilliance, had not yet returned Brittania to its place on the world stage the way he would.

Yes, that would be his crowning moment, and no one else's.

"It's time, your highness," Luciano said, with a mocking bow. "Your public awaits."

Clovis ignored the twitch of annoyance he felt- working with trash like Luciano, a low-level noble who just happened to have skill in military matters. Right now, compromise was the name of the game.

"Then let's get started," he said imperiously, and twirled on his heel.

_I'm going to be Emperor,_ he reminded himself. Until that time, everything else could be endured.

00000

Luciano continued to hold the bow until long after Clovis left, before picking himself up with a self-satisfied grin.

"Arrogant twit," came a seething voice, and he turned to see Marika rounding the corner, her expression one of annoyance. She carried an assault rifle in her hands, which clashed somewhat with the same standard businesswoman's outfit she wore. "Lord Luciano, why are we helping this man again?"

"It's all part of the plan, Marika," Luciano replied casually, grinning as he shoved his hands into the pockets of a black leather duster. "How are our boys?"

"The sedatives are holding, but… my lord, is this really a good idea?" she asked hesitantly, looking skittish. "Those men are not stable."

"Of course they're not!" came the manically jovial reply, as Luciano started down the hallway. "But they're useful test subjects. And what better way to test them out discretely?"

Only someone like Luciano could call holding hundreds of people hostage as a discrete method of experimentation.

Marika's frown never abated.

Seeing her expression continuing its dark demeanor, Luciano clapped her on the shoulder, a fiendish light dancing in his eyes.

"Don't worry about it. Once we're sure that it works in live combat, we'll start really ramping up." And with that, he started down the hallway, still holding her against him with a grin. "Now come on. I want the package brought into the building, and then I want to see the boys myself."

_So much to do,_ Luciano thought, eyes alight with a murderous glee. _So very little time to kill. _

00000

"So what are we looking at?" Naoto asked quietly, on the bridge of the _Bishamonten_. At his side was Rei (_Lelouch_, he corrected mentally) to his left, and Sancia to his right.

"Several teams on the rooftop, equipped with heavy anti-Knightmare weaponry, presumably to prevent an all-out blitz," Sancia reported. "They've set barricades at the entrances, supported by De Dannan Knightmare Frames. The building was originally designed to allow a flow of reinforcements from the mainland in Yamato in the event of a Brittanian uprising, and thus the layout of the building is prepared to repel attacks from the outside, not the inside. The most sensitive areas of the facility, such as the control tower and the security rooms, are locked down with defense systems designed to prevent exactly this kind of situation- blast proof windows, all exits sealed by metal doors a half a foot thick."

"Meaning the building has become a fortress," Naoto muttered, groaning. "This just gets better and better."

"Have there been any demands?" Rei asked tonelessly.

The rest of the bridge crew paused, still uncertain about the presence of the masked man in their midst, but since he was there as a guest of the Commander, they said nothing on the subject.

"We're receiving a broadcast now, from inside the airport," Sancia replied.

"Bring it up on screen, please," Rei requested. As it flickered to life, Lelouch sucked in a breath- he had guessed it would be one of his siblings, but the difference between intuition and physical confirmation was a large one.

_Oh Clovis, you fool_, Lelouch thought regretfully.

00000

"Citizens of the Japanese Empire," Clovis declared on the screen, hands held open in a gesture that seemed almost welcoming. Behind him, the familiar flag of the Brittanian Empire, long since abandoned, was draped prominently in the background. "My name is Clovis La Brittania, the Third Prince of the Brittanian Empire, and I represent my people, who have been trampled beneath your reign for the past seven years."

_My people? Pretentious as always, aren't you, Clovis, Lelouch critiqued, arching a critical eyebrow. _It was a good strategy to unify Brittanians behind him, though.

"Tonight we have taken control of the _Kojiki _airport to send a message to our oppressors," Clovis continued, voice full of the familiar regal haughtiness that Lelouch remembered as a child, "Our demands are simple. Five hundred million yen as a restitution for the suffering thrust upon on our nation, to be wired to an account of our choosing, and the release of the political prisoners being kept unjustly in the maximum security prison in New Kyoto. We will utilize one of the commercial airline planes to leave this airport once our demands are met, but be warned- we will not hesitate to kill the hostages if you do not cooperate with us."

"They're insane," Lelouch heard Naoto exclaim. "The prison in New Kyoto is holding some of the most dangerous terrorists and criminals we've managed to capture alive but haven't been able to bring to trial or to talk yet. The government will never agree to releasing such valuable sources of information, let alone some of the names on that list."

"We will give you four hours," Clovis finished coldly. "After that, for every hour that goes by, we will execute ten of our hostages, publically. Should we be attacked, we have set bombs throughout this building, which are ready to go off. We may die, but so will every single man, woman, and child in this place. Do not attempt a rescue."

The line cut.

"You damn fool," Lelouch whispered under his breath. "This isn't right, Clovis…"

"Rei?"

His head jerked up to meet Naoto's concerned gaze. "You're shaking," he said softly, under his breath to prevent the others on the bridge from noticing.

"I won't let him kill those people," Lelouch replied firmly, clenching his fists. "I'm going to save everyone in there."

Naoto paused, giving him a weighing look, as if trying to ascertain whether or not he could believe such a statement. Then, finally, a small smile appeared on his lips, and he pulled away.

"Then we'd better get started," Naoto muttered, grinning.

00000

"Where the hell did this come from?" Gino muttered, crouched over a soda at Malory's- he was still too young really to stay in the front legally, but Mac let it slide as long as he didn't drink anything alcoholic. The T.V. in front of him had just finished broadcasting Prince Clovis' statement, leaving a subdued crowd in its wake.

The other district leaders, aside from Claudio, had gone home already, while Darlton had stayed behind to speak with his son. The two of them were standing behind Gino, faces stony.

"What is the Commander going to say about this?" Gino asked, glancing over at Darlton, who frowned.

"This kind of method is abhorrent to her. She prefers a direct fight," Darlton replied, taking the seat next to Gino, signaling for a drink as he did so. "Whisky, on the rocks, Mac. If you've got it, I'd like the same bottle as last time."

Mac grunted, and reached under the bar, to reveal what looked like a very old, aged bottle of liquor, and pushed a glass of ice and the bottle towards Darlton, giving him a nod.

"Much obliged," Darlton said gratefully, pouring himself a drink, swirling it casually as he did so.

"So we're not throwing our support behind this," Gino said quietly, flicking a glance at the others with a furrowed brow.

"It's an interesting dilemma," Claudio admitted, taking the seat next to his father, away from Gino. He signaled Mac for an ale, and took an appreciate sip before continuing. "The goal of this group is the same as our own, and the Commander would never wish true ill against Prince Clovis. But what they're doing… is not something we can condone. The Brittanian Liberation Front has always tried never to involve itself in what is irrevocably a terrorist action. It's what separates us from the truly deranged people who lost sight of their goals."

Darlton nodded at his son's words, taking a slow gulp of the whisky, sighing appreciatively.

"Very nice," he said softly, before picking up where his son left off, "And you're right, son. We can't condone what they're doing, but neither can we do anything opposed to it. We're all on the same side, after all."

"I thought we were on the good guy's side," Gino pointed out, a bit sullenly as he raised an eyebrow. "I joined because I believed in setting right a wrong. Because I loved Brittania. Not to kill women and children."

"And I applaud you for it," Darlton acknowledged, raising the shot glass to him before taking another swallow. "The Commander feels the same way. But not everyone wants to fight that way. Your pilot, Fenette, seems more intent on revenge than winning freedom."

Gino bristled slightly, but Darlton raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Easy, Weinberg. I meant nothing against the girl."

"What my father is trying to get at," Claudio interrupted, rolling his eyes, "Is that people fight for different reasons. And the way they fight is just as different. We can't go around condemning everyone who works in a way that we find distasteful- not if we want to win this war."

"What's the use in winning," Gino drawled slowly, fixing the older men with a hooded look, "If we become what we're fighting?"

To that, neither of the Darlton men had an adequate response, and they settled for their drinks instead. It was only after a few minutes passed that Andreas Darlton finally sighed, bringing his glass to his lips thoughtfully, without taking a drink.

"In any event," he said tiredly, "We won't be making a move today, regardless of how we may feel about this. It's better to see how all this plays out. We can decide what to do when the time comes."

Gino glanced back at the screen, where the flustered newscasters were attempting to restore some semblance of composure, and frowned.

_ Just doesn't feel right,_ Gino thought to himself darkly.

00000

"So this is as accurate a layout of the building as we can get," Naoto said quietly, bringing up the map on the table's display screen. It was a real time, touch sensitive map based upon a continuously streaming feed from orbiting satellites, giving them a nearly complete map of the area as of the present.

He, Lelouch, Sancia, Kallen, and Minami were sequestered in the war room of the _Bishamonten_, with one monitor on the wall keeping up a constant live feed of the news in case of any changes.

"From our spy satellites in orbit, we've determined there are three teams of terrorists on the rooftop, wielding RPGs and large caliber machine guns, all of which seems to be designed to repel armored assault," Naoto continued, "And what little we know about what's happening inside is that the hostages have been separated into groups, likely under heavy guard."

"The enemy is clever," Sancia observed quietly. "This was well thought out."

_Too clever,_ Lelouch thought to himself, frowning beneath his mask. _ Clovis was never this smart, or this well-prepared. His style was to rush forward, guns blazing, sacrificing his pieces for short-term gains that ultimately failed to turn the tide. Easy to trap, easy to fool. _

The likely truth of the matter dawned on him, and his blood ran cold.

_ There's someone else pulling the strings here. _

Oh he was sure Clovis believed he was in charge, but someone close to him, someone likely in a secondary role, was the one whispering ideas in his ears, manipulating Clovis into acting according to their own plans.

"Rei?"

Lelouch's thoughts were interrupted as he glanced up, meeting Naoto's gaze.

"What do you think we should do? This is your battle, after all," the older man said quietly, his tone subtly reminding him of the trust Naoto had given him.

Reminded of this, Lelouch ignored his own speculations for now- bringing them up here would be too suspicious.

"The first thing to do is to secure the priority hostage, which for this operation we will code name 'Orihime', followed shortly by the lives of the civilians, who I will code name 'Haru' and assign a number to each group we discover," Lelouch said quietly, and tapped the map on the screen, enlarging the image of the sector he selected. "Judging by the layout of this facility, I would say that the air traffic control room here is the most obvious candidate for a command center for these terrorists. It's heavily fortified and has the equipment to allow coordination between the scattered groups. I would guess this is where the leaders of this group will be, alongside any VIPs."

"What about… 'Orihime'?" Kallen swallowed, schooling her face to be as professional as possible. Utilizing the code name Lelouch had coined was likely a way to separate her personal feelings from the matter.

It was, after all, what Lelouch himself was doing.

"Do you think they know she's there?" she finished, voice cracking slightly.

Lelouch shook his head. "I doubt it, Kallen-sama," he said quietly, trying to inject a note of comfort in his artificially distorted voice. "Prince Clovis doesn't seem to be the type of man to let an opportunity like this pass, if he knew. It's highly likely that since 'Orihime' was traveling incognito, no one but herself and a few trusted aides are aware of her presence."

"That makes sense to me," Naoto murmured, nodding his head, obviously giving him a critical look. "Are you planning an insertion?"

Lelouch nodded back. "It's the best way to ensure the civilians will escape unharmed."

"We can't take them through the barricades at the entrance," Minami pointed out, crossing his arms. "Any insertion team would have to travel without anti-armor support, meaning that those De Dannans would be next to impossible to get past, and we can't risk an all out assault to try and break through- civilian casualties would be inevitable."

"I'm aware of that, Major," Lelouch acknowledged, and brought up a different area on the map display screen. He tapped one of the blobs on the map, bringing up the image of a massive commercial airliner. It was followed swiftly by the known mechanical statistics of the machine, including carrying capacity and weight specifications. "This will be our extraction point."

"You want to use the commercial jets to escape?" Naoto exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. "It's pretty risky- we'd need to secure the pilots."

"The pilots are likely sectioned off with the civilians. And as a backup I would like any soldiers we have with aircraft training to be with the insertion teams," Lelouch replied.

"And what's to stop them from shooting down those aircraft full of civilians?" Kallen asked scathingly, giving him a nasty look. "They have plenty of anti-armor on the rooftop that could turn those planes into so much scrap metal."

Lelouch ignored it. "A second force will be necessary to neutralize the teams on the rooftop," he responded, "As well as a third insertion force to disrupt their communications and prevent them from organizing a counterattack."

There was a moment of silence as the assembled officers took in his plan, and as each of them were veterans of combat, they immediately saw the flaw in his plan.

"You want to coordinate three simultaneous assaults against a heavily entrenched enemy who has full knowledge of the time frame we have to attack, with high risk and high value targets in the crossfire, in an operation that clearly depends very heavily on the elements of speed and surprise," Naoto summarized, narrowing his eyes with a critical look.

"That is correct," Lelouch said, wincing inwardly.

"You're insane!" Kallen shouted, voicing the unspoken comment that was being held back by the rest of the room. "If even one force fails to act in the same time frame as the others, this mission will be so FUBAR that we may as well have shot the hostages ourselves!"

"Nonetheless," Lelouch said calmly, keeping his voice carefully unperturbed despite the nervous flutters in his own stomach, "It is our best chance of securing the hostages."

"Even if you _can_ do coordinate such a complicated and extensive ground assault," Naoto said, stressing the word can with great vehemence, "Our insertion teams still need an LZ."

"The ones attacking the rooftop and disrupting communications will drop in via High Altitude Low Opening drops, from planes flying low enough to avoid detection. Luckily, this is autumn in London, and there are clouds tonight," Lelouch explained patiently, and tapped a point on the map. "This terminal here will be the breaching point for our hostage extraction force. It's the oldest in the airport, and is currently closed for repair. It should be deserted, and the terrorists should have no reason to watch this area. Since they've intentionally holed themselves up solely inside the main complex, our forces can cut through the fence and head in through there without being noticed."

"I saw that too. You still have the problem of accessing the rest of the complex without alerting the enemy, who have control over the security cameras," Naoto pointed out, crossing his arms. "And that still doesn't tell us how to access take down the leaders of this group, who are undoubtedly holed up in the control tower."

"We'll take down the leaders last. That fortress of theirs will be a prison," Lelouch assured them coolly, "As for the cameras, once the insertion teams are inside, they should be able to hack their way into the system's recordings and then play back a loop to fool the ones in the security rooms. After that, we'll have to trust to speed and the element of surprise to secure the hostages."

Everyone else took a few moments, trying to think of any more solid objections they could make to this plan. They found none.

"We'll need leaders for each team," Sancia noted quietly. "Sergeant Major Mao's squad has the most experience in air drop insertions into hostile territory, I believe."

"Then she'll lead the team on the rooftop. Commander, if you could assign a few technical officers to be part of the third team, I believe both of those forces can drop together, and then separate as it becomes necessary," Lelouch suggested. "Now, as for the insertion team…"

"I'll lead the insertion team," Kallen volunteered quietly, drawing looks from around the room.

"Kallen…" Naoto began, but his sister cut him off with a sharp look.

"I can do it," she interrupted firmly, and shot 'Rei' a challenging look. "And I'd feel better being on the ground where I can do something."

"But the _Amaterasu_ won't be available to you," Minami pointed out.

"If it comes to me needing to pilot, then the shit has already hit the fan now, hasn't it?" Kallen replied, and again flicked a cold glare at Lelouch. "It would mean a total breakdown in the stealth and surprise- and if it comes to that, we'll figure out a way to get me into the pilot seat."

Her voice was clear and strong, like a silver trumpet, and utterly pure in its determination. Lelouch felt humbled- his convictions felt like a pale imitation in comparison.

"Very well," Naoto said, nodding crisply. "I'll approve this, and get everyone ready- it'll take about two and a half hours to organize everything. So we'll say that at 2100 hours, we will begin Operation: _Tanabata_."

"_Tanabata_?" Lelouch said, blinking, before he could help himself.

Naoto grinned and shrugged, his military demeanor fading for a moment. "You called her 'Orihime'. I just went with the theme."

"I still think this sounds crazy," Kallen muttered, just to be contrary.

"Crazy enough to work, maybe," Naoto corrected, and flashed Lelouch a smile. "Let's see what you've got, wonderboy."

Lelouch's stomach churned. "I'll try not to disappoint," he said, forcing a flippant tone into his voice as he turned away. "If you'll excuse me, I need to prepare."

And with that, he left the room.

Only Naoto noticed that Lelouch's hands had begun to shake.

00000

"Things look pretty bad," Milly commented quietly, standing next to the couch. They were in the living quarters of Suzaku's wing of the mansion, with a television set on. The rest of the room was decorated ornately, with a set of worn katanas, said to have been the blades of Miyamoto Musashi himself on one wall, and a long flowing ink painting on the other.

Suzaku remained still as a statue, hands clasped in front of his face, elbows propped up on his knees, expression as dark as a gathering storm as he listened to the newscast.

"No official statement has been released regarding the shocking announcement by Clovis La Brittania, from either the local government or the mainland. Former Prince Schneizel El Brittania could not be reached for comment regarding his younger brother's hostile act against the Empire he himself works for…"

The television continued, droning on and making a high-stakes hostage situation with hundreds of lives at stake seem trivial.

"Cowards," Milly added, shaking her head. "There's ways to go about doing things, and then there's this way."

Suzaku was caught. As_ Jinchuu,_ he had already placed his sympathies firmly behind the BLF and their goal of a liberated Brittania. But as a man, could he really stand by and see innocents die? Regardless of their nationality?

Clovis' goals were similar to his own. They were both trying to give Brittania back to the people, in a way. But the methods were utterly polarized.

"What should I do, Milly?" Suzaku asked softly, glancing over at her almost pleadingly. "I know this isn't right, but I also know I can't ever side with the Empire."

"You'll do what you always do, Suzaku-sama," Milly replied softly, offering him a smile.

"And what is that?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You'll do what's right, of course," she answered, simply.

Suzaku said nothing after that, and only stared at the screen instead.

_What's right, huh,_ he thought to himself, clenching his fists.

His thoughts were interrupted as the phone rang, startling Suzaku, until Milly handed him the phone, a wry smile on her lips.

_"Suzaku?"_

"Kallen," Suzaku acknowledged, noting the tone of harried worry in her voice.

_"I take it you've seen the news,"_ Kallen said somberly.

His fists tightened, knuckles whitening. "Yeah," he said, voice hoarse, "Yeah I have."

Kallen was silent for a few heartbeats, and he knew she was debating telling him something critically important, something probably the military was keeping close to the chest. In the end, whatever it was, she chose not to tell him.

Suzaku didn't begrudge her for that. He was keeping plenty of secrets as it was anyways.

"What's your brother planning?" he questioned instead.

_"He's… got a plan. We're getting everything ready right now, but I have nothing to do yet, so I thought I'd call and check up on you,"_ Kallen answered softly._ "I knew you'd be taking this hard." _

"Thanks," Suzaku murmured, shutting his eyes. She knew him well. And whatever she was keeping from him must also, therefore, be something she believed he honestly didn't need to know right now.

Something important.

His eyes opened, and he stared down at his open palms. He had power. He could make a difference. Save lives.

Even if it meant turning against that power against Brittanians.

Wasn't justice, after all, impartial?

"I'll let you go then," Suzaku said quietly. "Good luck, Kallen."

_"Suzaku…"_ Kallen started, and then fell silent again._ "Nevermind. Thank you." _

The phone clicked, and Suzaku stared down at it as he moved it from his ear, frowning. She was worried. Deeply worried.

"Things are that bad, huh?" Milly commented, brushing and smoothing out the skirt of her maid outfit as she took the seat next to him.

"Yeah," Suzaku answered, voice rough with tension. "Kallen isn't even talking to me about it."

Milly said nothing for a minute, before she flicked a glance over at him. "So, when are we going to go?"

At Suzaku's look of surprise, she snorted in an unladylike manner and rolled her eyes.

"I haven't-"

"Like there was any doubt," she interrupted, smiling cattily. "Besides, how can there be a pinch without a superhero to save the day?"

Milly stood, and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll make some calls, find us a way to get over there without being spotted. You sit tight and wait till the last minute like a good hero."

"Save the day, huh?" Suzaku muttered to himself, after she had gone. His lips absently turned up into a smile.

Yeah. Maybe that was all the justice this world needed. Someone to save the day, regardless of who needed saving.

00000

Unnoticed by either occupant of the room, however, a pair of lilac eyes watched inquisitively from a crack in the doorway, hearing every word.

00000

Lelouch stepped out onto the observation deck of the _Bishamonten,_ grateful that it was deserted as he took in a slow breath, steadying himself against the wall. His hands were shaking, and he felt sick, desperate for air- but the mask had to stay on.

Right now he was Rei, not Lelouch.

A part of him knew that disassociating this part of himself from the greater whole of his personality might be unhealthy, but on the other hand, he _was_ having a minor panic attack already.

"Are you okay?"

Lelouch's head jerked up and he gazed up into the concerned eyes of Kouzuki Naoto. Flushing beneath the mask, he straightened, and attempted to cover up the shaking in his hands.

"Commander," Lelouch acknowledged quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, actually," Naoto replied, crossing his arms. "And judging by the way you're shaking, it looks like I was right to do so."

"I can handle this," Lelouch said stubbornly, willing his hands to stop.

Naoto sighed, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as he glanced down at Lelouch- idly, Lelouch realized Naoto was maybe an inch or two taller than himself. Odd, that.

"Look," Naoto began, "I'm fully aware you probably have what it takes to command this operation. But I'm wondering if you're _ready_ to do it.

Lelouch blinked, leaning back against the metal frame of the wall. "What do you mean, ready?" he asked, a slight edge to his tone. "I came here fully prepared to do what I must."

"All the same, you're the one whose hands are shaking," Naoto responded tartly, a note of ice in his voice.

At that, Lelouch flinched, as though struck, and looked away, unable to bear Naoto's piercing gaze.

"Don't feel like talking huh?" Naoto broke off the gaze, and leaned against the wall next to him. "That's alright. I come up here to think too, sometimes."

A minute passed, and then two, then three.

"I'm not afraid," Lelouch began quietly. "I just… don't want people to die because of my mistakes."

"People are going to die no matter how this turns out," Naoto pointed out sensibly, frowning. "You can't take on that kind of responsibility for the role."

"That's not good enough!" Lelouch shot back heatedly. Beneath the mask, his expression was a grimace of true agony as he turned towards Naoto. "I can't accept that people are just going to die. I need to… need to…"

"Save them?" Naoto finished, raising an eyebrow. "Kid, take it from me- you're never going to save everyone. Sooner or later, someone's gonna die. Call it a sacrifice, if you have to."

"It doesn't mean I can't try," came the determined reply, and Lelouch's fists clenched and tightened into white knuckled balls. "It doesn't mean we shouldn't do everything we can to save everyone. No sacrifices. Not now, not ever."

Naoto took a step back, obviously startled by the sheer force of Lelouch's convictions. Unlike other orators he had heard in his time, both on and off the battlefield, the young man before him spoke not in a blaze of passion but in a flowing tide, a quiet but determined river wearing down all in its path.

It was… appealing. Childishly idealistic, but appealing.

A part of Naoto not hardened by his training and experience in the military wanted to accept these words as truth, against his cynical but likely better judgment.

Now wasn't the time for this kind of argument, however. Instead, Naoto changed topics, deciding it was better to get a gleam of knowledge about Lelouch Lamperouge rather than get swept up in a philosophical tide.

"So why the white outfit? I mean, I get that a good performance is a potent weapon, but you couldn't have chosen this outfit out of hand- all of it looks custom made," Naoto commented, leaning back against the opposite wall, giving the outfit a once over.

Once more, Lelouch fell silent, and Naoto wondered if he had touched a nerve.

But, at last, the scion of Brittania spoke. "You know what white signifies in Japan, I assume."

"Death," Naoto answered, and shivered as a chill ran down his spine. Even speaking the word in Japanese was rarely done, and years of cultural indoctrination had not made him immune.

"I am dead to the world, for all intents and purposes, Commander," Lelouch explained calmly, and glanced out the observation deck window, to the airport, where in a short time he would command a battle. "I am a ghost. I desire nothing for myself, save a kind of redemption for sins committed in life. I will not cloak myself in false justice or demagogic lies. I am a sinner, and I do not deserve the world I am trying to build for others."

Naoto frowned, peering over at Lelouch with a pinched look. "You know, for a kid, you've got some pretty deep seated issues, you know that? You don't talk like someone your age should… you talk like an old man who made too many mistakes in his life."

"I'm not old, Naoto-san," Lelouch replied crisply, with a tone of acceptance, "But I have made mistakes."

Naoto placed a hand on Lelouch's shoulder, and met the mask's featureless gaze with a hard look. "No one makes a mistake so bad they can't make up for it," Naoto murmured, and squeezed the younger man's shoulder. "Just learn from them."

They fell into silence after that, and said no more until the door slid open and Naoto pulled away.

"Onii-chan?" Kallen called out, and poked her head into the observation bay. Her features momentarily darkened when she spotted Lelouch in his 'Rei' outfit, before she jerked her head toward her brother. "Can we talk?"

"Of course," Naoto agreed, nodding his head. As he passed Lelouch, he murmured quietly, so that Kallen would not overhear, "Think about what I said."

He clasped Lelouch on the shoulder once, and then left.

00000

"I don't like him," Kallen said flatly, as they stepped out into the hallway.

Naoto's lips quirked and he raised an eyebrow. "The door hasn't even fully shut yet, little sister. Mom taught you better manners than that, I thought."

Kallen kicked her brother in the shin, and he winced.

"I'm serious," she muttered, as they began to walk down the hallway together. "We can't trust him. He's so… infuriating. He's got to have some kind of agenda."

"You let me worry about Rei," Naoto replied quietly, but firmly, though inwardly he continued to wince and howl in pain- Kallen had been wearing steel toed boots.

"Onii-chan, you're too careless with this kind of thing," Kallen complained, crossing her arms as she stepped in front of him, cutting him off from proceeding forward. "You can't just let some freak in a mask take command of our forces."

"The 75th is_ my_ unit, not yours, Kallen," Naoto reminded her sharply, setting his mouth in a thin line. "I decide to whom I trust the lives of my men. Not you."

Kallen fell back as if he had struck her, paling in the face of his honest, but harsh reprimand. Sometimes, Naoto deeply regretted working with his sister so closely. Most of the time there was no problem, with their teamwork in sync, but still, in this kind of business emotional entanglements could be dangerous.

"Fine," Kallen bit out finally, scowling. "I'll get to the hangar then. Maybe I can keep some of our people from dying out there, if I can't stop you from getting them killed here."

Naoto scowled right back, ready to snap as he did before, but held his anger in check. Kallen was just afraid for him, and for the men and women under his command. They had been people who she grew up with, who had helped shape her into the young woman she was today.

Losing them would, and had in the past, hurt her deeply.

"Kallen. Trust me," Naoto said quietly. "Believe in me, if you won't believe in him. I believe in him, so you can believe in me."

"Believe in the you that believes in him, huh?" Kallen questioned mirthfully, her eyes sparkling.

"Who the hell do you think we are!" Naoto grinned as he shouted, and held out his fist, which Kallen met with a bump from her own.

"The Kouzuki siblings," Kallen answered firmly, as was their ritual, her grin as wide as his own. "Should I call you 'Aniki' now?"

"We should have named the Amaterasu 'Guren'," Naoto commented casually, crossing his arms behind his head as they resumed walking down the hall. "I think a mecha named Guren fits you, sis."

Kallen wrinkled her nose and scoffed. "Crimson Lotus? Really, Onii-chan? I know I have red hair and all, but it seems a bit much…"

00000

In her mind, Euphemia knew this was a really, really bad idea. Following Milly and Suzaku just seemed wrong to her somehow, especially in light of how much help they had given her.

But on the other hand, she couldn't just sit quietly and wait for them in silence, as she had for the past few weeks.

She needed to know the truth. Whatever they were hiding from her, Euphemia knew, had to be tied up in her past somehow.

She had been watching and waiting for the past two weeks, noting the secret passage Milly and Suzaku used to get into the underground, memorizing the exact turns needed to get them to the cavern where they kept the armored carrier.

Her foreknowledge paid off swiftly as she actually reached the vehicle before both Milly and Suzaku, and, after checking around furtively, she opened the back of the truck with the spare key she'd procured from Suzaku's room.

Euphemia held back a small shudder as she beheld the _Caliburn_ for the second time. Her first few memories were still hazy, but she remembered the golden warrior-machine as clear as day, and even in stillness, it continued to emanate an aura of terrifying wrath. But more than that, any time she pictured it, the boy with the purple eyes came back in her memories, and with it, uncontrollable terror.

Creeping as quietly as she could, she shut the door behind herself and placed herself behind a few small crates stacked in a corner, and began to wait.

It only took a few more minutes before she heard footsteps coming, and the hushed sounds of Milly and Suzaku's voices.

"You're sure you want to come with me, Milly?" Suzaku questioned quietly. "This isn't going to be like the other times- the military is going to be on high alert, not to mention the terrorists…"

"What kind of superhero goes in without his beautiful sidekick?" Milly replied teasingly, the warmth of her chuckle audible even through the steel of the truck. The door opened on the driver's side, and Euphemia heard a ruffling in the seat as Milly moved inside and shut the door. "Besides, I'm the one who found the route to take you close enough to the action without being noticed."

"I'm just saying…" Suzaku said slowly, hesitantly, as he opened his door. "This just doesn't feel like the usual."

"I think it's strange that the 'usual' for you has become fighting the empire you're supposed to rule over someday in a super-powered Knightmare from space or something that you found alongside an amnesiac princess of a fallen nation," Milly said archly, and Euphemia, despite the situation, stifled a giggle. At least she knew for sure that she and this machine- _Caliburn_- were connected, somehow.

"Just drive," Suzaku muttered irritably, shutting the door.

"Aye aye, captain," Milly replied irreverently.

As the car started up, deep in the back, Euphemia swallowed, throat tight, a flutter of fear in her belly.

00000

_ Hey,_

_ How've you been? Sorry I haven't been able to get back to you in a few weeks, things have been kinda crazy over here. Work stuff, and all that. My mom sends her love, by the way, and she'll be sending you a care package in a few days once she gets a day off work. _

_ How's everything over on your end, on the continent? You still doing that internship program? I still can't believe you're already working for the Rosenbaum Institute- then again, you were always smarter than me, huh? Remember that time you had to spend a whole day helping me redo my math homework? I still failed the test, but we had a good laugh, huh? _

_ Well, anyways, hopefully you can get a break to visit again- my mom would love to have you over anytime. _

_ From-_

His fingers paused over the keyboard as he reached the end of the e-mail, wondering exactly how he was supposed to conclude this electronic post.

"From? Nah, I can't do that, it's too impersonal… regards? What am I, an old man? Love? No, no, I can't write love, she'll misunderstand," Rivalz muttered in consternation, rubbing his forehead as he moved his hands away from the keyboard. "Stupid, stupid… I'm an idiot…"

"Wow, I was wondering when you'd figure that out."

Rivalz jerked away from his computer and toward his bedroom door, where Shirley stood in the doorway, a mischievous grin on her lips, hands clasped behind her back.

"Damn it Shirley, don't sneak up on me like that! And how did you get into my house?" Rivalz demanded, cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment at being caught talking to himself.

"Your mom let me in as she was leaving for work," Shirley replied casually, peering around his room with a wrinkled nose. "You really need to clean this place up, by the way."

"I can't believe my mom just lets you in like that," Rivalz muttered, frowning. "I mean, yeah, you live next door, but it isn't like she knows you all that well…"

"And I can't believe you're busy writing a love letter with what's happening," Shirley retorted calmly, and flicked a glance at the television on top of his dresser. "Haven't you been watching the news at all? Or are these… cartoons actually that interesting?"

"News is depressing. Cartoons are classic entertainment," Rivalz said defensively, crossing his arms. After a moment, he added, flustered, "And it's not a love letter! I'm just writing an e-mail to a childhood friend who is living abroad, that's all. Just because she's a girl doesn't mean anything."

"Sure it does," Shirley said, smiling widely. "Well, anyways, since you clearly haven't been paying attention…"

She gave him a quick rundown of the situation at the airport. At the end, Rivalz whistled, leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms behind his head.

"Well hell," he muttered. "It's only been a few hours and things have already gone nuts."

"Like I said, it's kind of funny you're here worrying about something like this when something this important is going on," Shirley commented, leaning against his dresser and cocking an amused eyebrow at him. "I wanted to see what you thought of it, but I guess I was being a bit too confident."

"It's not like we can do anything," Rivalz replied calmly, shrugging. "It's a problem for the guys on the other side, not us."

"I guess you're right," Shirley agreed reluctantly, though her expression seemed unusually distracted.

Rivalz frowned, and peered closer over at her. "Are you okay? I haven't seen you since you stormed out of the meeting today. Something happen?"

Shirley avoided his gaze, studying one of the posters on his wall (a blown up image of a vespa scooter, Rivalz's own private enthusiasm) with an absent expression.

"Am I a good person, Rivalz?" she asked quietly.

He blinked, confused. "Uh… yeah, I guess. I mean, you can't really take a joke, but hey, you've stuck your neck out for me before, so…" he trailed off, still trying to puzzle out the meaning behind the question. "Why do you ask?"

Shirley drummed her fingers against the top of the dresser. "It's nothing. Forget I said anything," she said, forcing a laugh. "I'm just being weird, I think."

Rivalz, in a fit of unusual foresight, refrained from making a joke regarding female moodiness. He was quiet for a few moments, and then, without thinking, he said lightly, "Hey, did I ever tell you why I signed up?"

He received no response, so he pressed on.

"I've never really cared about the fall of Brittania," he continued, shrugging as he crossed his arms behind his head, glancing up at the ceiling. "My mom's been working two or three jobs since before the invasion anyway, after my dad left us. Nothing changed for me."

"Then why'd you join up with us?" Shirley questioned, flicking a glance at him with uncertain eyes.

"Things changed for people I knew though," Rivalz replied softly, "Like my friend living overseas… she left the country a couple of years ago on a scholarship deal in the Eurasian Federation. Before that though… she lost her parents, kind of like you… It really messed her up, I think."

He forced a chuckle, which was met with only stony, expectant silence.

"I'm not a hero or anything like that, Shirley," he said casually, meeting her eyes with a knowing expression, "I know I'm never going to be an ace pilot or a commander. But I want to do something to help people."

Shirley snorted, shaking her head.

"I always thought…" she sighed, "I always thought I could justify anything because of my papa. But lately… lately that doesn't seem to be good enough anymore."

Rivalz frowned. He wished he had the right words to say.

"People like General Darlton, or this _Jinchuu _guy… or even… even…" Shirley bit her lip, "Even a guy like Lelouch seems to have reasons for what they do."

"Just give yourself some time," Rivalz said quietly. "I mean heck, you can't expect to have an epiphany every week about yourself or something. We aren't heroes in a show or anything- we just do what we have to do."

"Do what we have to do, huh?" Shirley murmured, and her expression seemed to change ever so subtly. A trace of humor appeared in her eyes as her lips moved in a tiny, but genuine smile. "You know, Rivalz, sometimes you're smarter than you look."

"Finally, someone notices," he muttered, shaking his head.

00000

Lelouch stepped onto the bridge as the doors swished shut behind him, absently ruffling the white cloak draped over his shoulders.

No one on the bridge paid him any mind, save for Naoto, who flicked his eyes up from the map screen display and offered him a grin.

"How is everything come along?" he asked quietly, stepping closer to the commander.

"The insertion teams have landed at the far end of the airstrip, and the transport planes carrying the other team have an ETA of fifteen minutes," Sancia informed him. "Everything is proceeding according to the schedule."

"To quote one of your country's best writers, 'the readiness is all'," Naoto added calmly, and gave him a sideways glance. "Feeling better?"

Lelouch glanced down at his hands, which remained firm. "Yes," he answered softly. "I think I am."

"Well, alright then." Naoto flashed him a grin. "The bridge is yours, Rei. Let's see what you've got."

Lelouch closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the one just before the plunge. When he opened his eyes, there was no more hesitation, only the light of Geass shining in his left eye.

"Then let's begin Operation: _Tanabata_."

00000

"Everyone check your corners, and be doubly sure of your targets before you even_ think_ of pulling the trigger. There are hostages here, remember that," Kallen instructed quietly, whispering into the communicator into the flexible full-body armor she had donned for the mission. "At least it seems the security loop is holding."

They had just slipped inside the abandoned terminal, which, just as their intelligence had promised, was free of any enemy patrols. A lucky break- their first one, but hopefully not their last.

"You seem tense, Kallen-sama," Lieutenant Inoue, her second in command for this mission, noted quietly, on her left, as she swept the room with her rifle, a standard issue rifle with a silencing suppressor attached. A slender woman with long, blue hair tied back with a red bandana and a gentle face, she seemed more inclined for flowers than gunpowder. But she had a spine of steel that belied her pretty features, and Kallen trusted her to watch her back.

"This is a pretty risky mission," Sergeant Yoshida, on her right, commented, frowning. He was around Inoue's age, with curly brown hair and a bandana matching Inoue's around his head. "I'm pretty tense too, leaving our lives in the hands of a masked madman."

"The Commander trusts him," Inoue replied coolly, giving him a severe look. "And we trust the commander. That should be enough."

Kallen knew it wouldn't be, though. Her stomach kept fluttering as well- there were just so many things that could go wrong with this mission, even on a good day.

And this was definitely not one of those.

"Contact, at the southeast corridor. Five hostiles, and at least a dozen civilians. Looks like we've found one of the hostage groups," reported one of the other members of the team.

"I see them," Kallen said quietly, maneuvering herself around the corner, peeking just around the corner as well.

The terrorists wore olive-green bulletproof vests, were clean cut and each holding carbine rifles. Two of them were chatting idly, but their eyes were constantly sweeping the area- professionals, then. Kallen noted mentally that they were not the standard Kirihara Industries assault rifles her team was carrying.

"Anyone know what they're packing?" she whispered into the microphone.

"Looks familiar. I can't place it, though," Inoue replied softly.

"Well, we'll save it for afterward," Kallen muttered. She peered around the corner again, and readied her rifle. Her hands shook slightly as one of the terrorists turned abruptly to one of his compatriots, leaving a hostage right in her line of sight- an eight year old child crying into his mother's arms.

"Kallen-sama? We have them in our sights. We'll fire on your mark," Inoue reported over a burst of static.

Kallen tried to steady her breath- it failed.

_I could miss_, she suddenly thought, feeling a cold chill run down her spine. _I could kill an innocent child if a single bullet goes wrong. _

"Kallen-sama?" the Lieutenant repeated hesitantly.

Her hands shook, and a fluttering of panic swept through her gut-

And then suddenly, it faded, and a sense of absolute serenity took its place, along with a single thought that echoed throughout her head like the voice of a god.

_I_ won't _miss. _

"I'm taking the shot," she murmured quietly, and adjusted her sights. With a deep, steadying breath, Kallen fired off a single suppressed burst.

The lead terrorist she sighted went down with a choked gasp, and the others barely had time to turn before they too were felled by the rest of her team's silent barrage.

"Move in," Kallen instructed calmly, and stepped into the room at a low crouch, keeping a constant sweep of the room with her rifle up as she moved towards the nearest civilian- the same little boy she feared she would shoot earlier.

"Thank you," sobbed the mother, and took one of Kallen's hands into her own. "Emperor be praised, thank you so much, Kallen-sama."

Kallen glanced down at the crying woman, who had begun shaking her hand gently, keeping her head bowed almost parallel to the floor. Before she could reply, the mother had grabbed her son and pulled him closer to the ground as well in a forced bow.

"Come on, Daisuke, bow," she urged softly. "The Emperor has sent one of his warriors to protect us. There's no need to cry now."

As if her words were a trigger, the other hostages began crowding around her in a hesitant semi-circle, murmuring words of thanks and gratitude, a daring few attempting to touch her hands.

For the first time, Kallen was suddenly struck by how important her office was- how being one of the Swords of the Emperor had a true impact on the people. She had heard of such things before, of course- how during the Oriental War the mere sight of the First Sword, Kamiya Yahiko, was worth more than a force of a thousand men to the tides of battle.

She held the feeling for a moment longer, and then finally turned away, breaking the eye contact with the civilians as she issued further orders to her team.

"Lieutenant, assign two of your men to get those hostages to the rallying point. The rest of us, move on through. We've got more people to save."

As her team rumbled their assent, Kallen felt the certainty harden into real conviction. They could do this. With the grateful faces of the hostages clinging to the back of her mind, she knew they could do it now- that they _had_ to do it.

00000

From the vantage point of a nearby rooftop, a pair of golden eyes opened.

"So he's finally using it," C.C. commented quietly, ignoring the chill wind that suddenly swept the rooftop. "The power of Absolute Will."

She had formed a number of contracts in her lifetime, and seen many different kinds of Geass power. Her last one, before Lelouch, had a seemingly mundane, but ultimately terrifying power that could subvert hearts and minds. She had seen another who had the power to see distant events through the strength of his Geass, and even one who could see the future.

Lelouch's was different. His was not a power that could be used alone- it required others, for it was a Geass of the spirit more than the mind. With it, Lelouch could impress his will upon everyone in an area or an individual. Actual mental compulsion, a sort of Absolute Obedience, was out of the realm of his powers, and in many ways it was far weaker than other powers she had gifted/cursed others with before.

However, he _could_ create courage in the hearts of cowards, or despair in even the most bloodthirsty of men, and with that, a crude technique like forcing a man to do something against will seemed primitive. Battles were not always decided by strength of arms, nor wars won by pure military force. Because men were fighting, and above all else, mankind was ruled by emotion.

Lelouch could convince a group of soldiers to break and be routed, or stir up and strengthen the resolve of a defender to fight with the ferocity of ten men- in short, he could decide the flow of a battle simply by willing it to be that way.

Seasoned generals would drool with envy to possess such a power over the battlefield.

"Let us hope," C.C. whispered, into the wind, "That the power does not hold sway over you as well, Lelouch."

00000

"Kallen-sama's team, designated _Hiryu_, has found the first hostage group, now designated as_ Haru_-One. Now moving them to the designated fallback point," Sancia reported to the rest of the bridge, holding the communicator in her ear tightly, flicking a glance at Naoto, who in turn glanced at Lelouch.

"Looks like everything's going smoothly so far," Naoto said quietly, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Y-yeah," Lelouch agreed breathlessly, and Naoto fixed him with a more questioning stare.

Moving closer, so that they wouldn't be overheard, Naoto murmured softly, "Are you okay?"

Lelouch nodded, though there was a slight pause in his movements that betrayed him. "I'm fine," he lied, forcing a note of confidence in his voice. "Commanding an operation is just a little more stressful than I thought, that's all."

Naoto looked doubtful, but didn't press the matter, and left Lelouch to his own devices.

Without a conversation to focus on, Lelouch redirected his attention back towards his Geass. He hadn't really been lying to the commander, in a way- commanding was more stressful than he had thought, but it was the strain of using his powers that was really starting to get to him.

The view his Geass gave him of the battlefield was unique- in front of him was the tactical display that gently pulsed with the locations of each of the teams, a physical view of what was going on. But in his mind, he saw past the topography and electronic readings, and saw only the hearts and minds of the people.

He felt a touch of panic rise from Kallen, and swiftly countered it with a wave of confidence, like dousing a flame. The team on the rooftop's confidence wavered, and he was there in an instant, stirring their courage, sharpening their attention so that they wouldn't miss a shot.

As for the terrorists, at least, those whose minds he could feel, he did the opposite. Though most had minds like steel traps, wound tight and ready, he wore at them with subtle waves of sloth and confusion, muddling at their minds, eroding their ability to fight slowly but surely, like the tides breaking down rocks. He couldn't force them to run, or convince them not to check on their incapacitated comrades, but he could slow them down, make them weaker, more vulnerable.

It wasn't much, but it was how his powers could contribute to the battle, even from this distance.

As he passed over the minds of the terrorists, however, he paused as he brushed up against one mind, separated from the others, and moving fast. Unlike the others, it was… brighter. Like comparing a forest fire to a candle, this one burned more fiercely than the rest.

_What the hell is that_, Lelouch thought worriedly, and attempted to press his will upon the unusual mind- and was pushed back by the sheer force of will burning within.

That alone was troubling enough- what was worse was that this lone mind was headed straight for Kallen's group.

"That… cannot be good," he muttered under his breath, and quickly hit the communicator button on the console. "_Hiryu_, do you read me? There's something heading your way."

"_Hiryu_ here. No signs of hostiles detected. Please don't waste our time, HQ," came Kallen's icy reply.

"Damn it, Kallen-sama," Lelouch hissed softly, "I am not your enemy. There is something with you in that room."

"Still no contact. And how are you even getting this information, HQ-" Kallen began suspiciously, when suddenly a cluttering sound, like metal against the tiles, was heard. "Hold on, I think I might have got something. Moving to check it out."

"Wait, maybe you should get some backup, _Hiryu_," Lelouch said cautiously, feeling a tremor of trepidation in his gut.

"It looks like it was just the wind, HQ. Nothing at all to be-"

Whatever else Kallen was about to say was cut off as a low, inhuman growl was heard through the connection, followed swiftly by a the line going dead.

"Kallen-sama?" Lelouch said slowly, a note of urgent concern in his voice. "Kallen-sama, please respond… damn it, Kallen! Respond!"

00000

Even if she had been inclined to, Kallen wouldn't have been able to respond, considering the scarred, calloused hands currently wrapped around her throat.

The man had come out of nowhere, and at first, she honestly hadn't believed him to be a man, but some kind of large animal that had gotten onto the premises, judging from the loping, predatory gait and hunched, almost four-legged crouch he had been in. He had remained perfectly still too… up until she got too close, and then he sprang into motion, and started trying to strangle her.

His face was the most terrifying thing- unshaven, sunken, gaunt, with bloodshot eyes that gave the impression of a possessed corpse rather than a living being. The only thing out of place in that moment was his scent- sickeningly sweet, like an almost poisonous amount of sugar in the air. And that, in addition to everything else, made the man's appearance just that much more frightening.

Still, Kallen wasn't the Seventh Sword for nothing- even without the _Amaterasu_, she was a fighter.

As her vision began to fill with black spots, spurred on by desperate adrenaline, Kallen swung her elbow, bashing the man in the face once, twice, three times, sending his head snapping back from the force. By the third, the grip loosened enough for Kallen to break free, and deliver a powerful headbutt to the man's nose.

Her attacker fell back, blood dripping everywhere, including some on her suit as he staggered backwards, momentarily stunned.

Kallen, meanwhile, found her gun, and leveled it at the man. "Look," she said hoarsely, panting slightly, "Surrender, alright? I've got a gun, you don't. So just…"

She trailed off, as the man suddenly righted, as though all the blows he had just taken meant nothing. His eyes remained clear and conscious even through their bloodshot nature, filled with a gleam of utter madness.

And with another guttural snarl, the man lunged for her again.

Swiftly, Kallen raised her rifle and fired two rounds, aiming for the man's knees- when her attacker abruptly changed directions, reacting in time with her adjustments in aiming, allowing him to dodge the bullets by the barest amount necessary, and then swiftly slam into her.

_That wasn't human,_ she thought disbelievingly, as she rolled with the impact of the blow, using her training to compensate for her opponent's inhuman ferocity. Kallen sprang to her feet, hands in a ready position- her rifle had been lost in the melee.

Her opponent was strong, but kept attacking like a complete maniac, without any kind of finesse.

If she could just time it right…

Her thoughts were interrupted as the man sprang for her again, moving in the same loping, mindless pattern as before. This time, Kallen lashed out as the man sprang for her, striking fast with a sweeping kick-

Which was blocked with that same kind of inhuman reaction time as before. However, the force of her strike was enough to divert her attacker's lunge, and the man was forced to roll away.

Still, Kallen was spooked. That was twice now the man had reacted with impossible speed- the kick she threw at him just now had floored even Suzaku once or twice.

She didn't believe in coincidences- whoever this man was, he was not normal.

Once more, with an animalistic growl, he charged her again. Kallen struck out in a series of cobra-quick strikes, her hands a blur of violent movement- her opponent dodged them all.

_He's getting used to my movements,_ Kallen thought in horrified wonderment. _And he's… he's reacting even faster to them. _

The thought must have slowed down her last strike, or given it less power than before, because her blow was caught by her opponent, who gripped her elbow tight and yanked her close with brutal force.

That sickeningly sweet smell was back, just as overpowering as it was before, and Kallen choked slightly. She struggled for a bit before she finally broke the hold, just in time to hear a low shout from behind the man.

"Kallen-sama! Get down!"

She complied immediately, moving to the ground an instant before the cough of suppressed weapons filled the room, and the man went down in a spray of blood.

The sound of quiet footsteps filled the silence of the aftermath, and Lieutenant Inoue's concerned face appeared in her view. "Are you okay, Kallen-sama?" she asked concernedly.

Kallen's eyes remained fixed on the corpse of her attacker, and she frowned.

"There's something wrong here, Lieutenant," Kallen said quietly. "Something we didn't know about."

_Something bad. _

00000

"You know, if I were one to give into clichés," Luciano began pointedly, absently playing with a small switchblade in his hands, "I'd say things are a little too quiet."

They were in the control tower of the airport, which they had more or less converted into their headquarters for the duration of the operation. The tower operator and the other previous inhabitants were either lying in a pool of their own blood on the floor or tied up together and gagged in the corner.

Clovis gave him an irritated look as he paced the length of the room, frowning. "Why do you say that? The security room reports no intruders, and there's been no sign of any intrusion by the military."

"Exactly," Luciano agreed, waving his switchblade in a mock salute, "Doesn't it seem weird to you that the Japanese military would just let this slide so far?"

"We've got them where we want them," Clovis replied with a sneer. "Unless you're starting to get nervous, Bradley."

"In my line of work, confidence only gets you so far," came the casual, devil-may-care reply, accompanied by a vicious grin. "I think I'm going to take a look around. Tour the front myself, so to speak."

"Don't talk like a real soldier," Clovis said mockingly, curling his lip in disgust. "You haven't been one for years."

"But I've killed men on the battlefield plenty of times since then," Luciano responded easily, "And I know when something smells wrong."

And with that, he stood up, and strode towards the door, Marika following in his wake. As they exited the control tower, Marika spoke.

"My lord. I'm sorry to say this, but one of the subjects escaped our handler's custody a few minutes ago," she reported softly.

Luciano whistled as they turned the corner down the long, stainless steel hallway. "Well, that'll be interesting. The rest are still accounted for, I trust?"

Marika nodded. "We still have the other subjects- what's more, the one we lost was actually responding the weakest to the new dosage. We thought he would need less sedative as a result."

"No harm, no foul," he replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "Any word on where our little escapee ran off to?"

"None yet sir. We don't exactly have a lot of manpower to look for him," Marika reminded him. "But I do have a spot of good news. The package is ready. It's just down the corridor, actually."

Luciano's demonic grin was back, and he rubbed his hands eagerly in anticipation as they made their way down the corridor, to a door where two armed men stood at rapt attention. Luciano gave him a mock, casual salute, and then passed through without a word.

As he entered the room, Luciano shivered slightly. It was a simple storage room, normally filled with paper clips and paper and all sorts of office supplies. The shelves on the walls were still practically overflowing with the stuff, but they had made enough room at the back to place a single opened wooden crate.

"Madd's outdone himself," he said cheerfully, stepping closer to the opened crate in the center of the room. He whistled appreciatively. "I'll have to send him my compliments."

"The timer is set for just after the three hour mark," Marika said briskly, standing at the back of the room. "There should be enough time for you, myself, and the rest of our key personnel to escape the blast radius."

"And we're sure it'll level the entire complex? We can't really leave any traces, just in case," Luciano warned her, his normally manically jovial tone somewhat subdued. "Boss man's orders. We brought this in because we knew the bombs we would show our little prince were mostly for show, after all." "

"It will do its job, sir," she assured him. "The strength of this Sakuradite is particularly powerful, and very well refined. And unlike the bombs that idiot Clovis had our men planting around the building, _this_ device is set to go off regardless of the outcome. Everyone will simply blame Clovis for double crossing the Japanese, and we walk away from this as complete unknowns."

There was a moment of silence, followed by another whistle.

"Marika, I gotta say, you are one cold bitch," Luciano said gleefully, flashing her a grin, "And damn, I do like it."

"I try, sir."

Luciano glanced one more time at the digital timer attached to the Sakuradite bomb quietly beeped away the countdown to destruction for every single person in the airport, and smiled.

"God, I love my job."

Author's Notes

If I have to explain what the first scene is from, then a) I'm getting old and b)you need to listen to the classics.

One thing I've tried very hard to portray in this chapter is a key difference between IHTW!Lelouch and canon!Lelouch- confidence. Where Lelouch in canon was able to control his nerves and keep himself steady (such as the Zero Requiem), in this universe Lelouch's confidence is far shakier, and less likely to control himself in the face of emotional turmoil.

I used a lot of battlefield psychology stuff I've seen in textbooks and drew a lot more from games like Warhammer and Warhammer 40k which require a lot of morale boosts to keep soldiers in line (I play Lizardmen and IG, respectively, btw), to develop Lelouch's new Geass.


	11. Chapter 10: The Shape of Things To Come

_"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind."_

-John F. Kennedy

Chapter 10

The Shape of Things To Come

"Princess, are you well? I apologize that this was the only food I could find without being detected."

She smiled sunnily, clapping her hands with an air of delight instead of disapproval.

"Nonsense, Sayoko. This… 'taco', was it? It's quite delectable," she said cheerily, taking another delicate bite of her meal, legs dangling off the cheap plastic chair as she propped her elbows up on the table. "May I have another one of those 'volcano hot sauces', Mamoru-kun?"

Across the table, a small, dark haired boy in jeans and a grubby t-shirt smiled widely and passed a small red plastic packet. "There you are, miss- er, sorry, princess," the boy called Mamoru said politely.

The princess merely smiled widely, ruffling his hair "Don't worry about formalities, Mamoru-kun! Just eat your food, and then we'll see about getting you back to your mother."

From behind the boy, Sayoko frowned ever so slightly, a look of disapproval so miniscule that only the princess's keen observation skills took notice. Clad in a nondescript, but fine quality woman's business suit, with raven shoulder length hair, her features portrayed a sense of humility, but with an air of supreme competence. It was a shame she was always so calm and placid, the princess reflected, because Sayoko really was quite pretty, but her demeanor simply made her seem unreachable.

For now, the princess ignored Sayoko's look of warning, instead continuing to speak with the boy. "So, Mamoru-kun, you were saying that you and your mother decided to move to Brittania?"

Mamoru nodded and began to speak through a mouthful of ground beef and lettuce. "Mmmhmm. My mom's job moved out here, so we did too. I was kind of sad to leave my friends, but they gave me a really cool soccer ball before I left. Too bad it's in my baggage- we could play!"

She smiled at his enthusiastic response, especially in the face of the situation they were in. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sayoko make a single hand gesture, and a brief moment of uncertainty took hold over her. Unwilling to show it, however, she continued speaking. "Well, I'm sure we can play once this whole business is finished. If you'd like, there's a place in my school for you."

Mamoru gave her a suspicious look. "Your school? But you're hardly older than me!"

The princess frowned at that, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. Sayoko was no longer in view.

"I'll have you know I'm fourteen years old, Mamoru-kun. And it _is_ my school. And you're more than welcome to come and enroll," she offered, the frown melting away back into the usual sunny smile. "Oh, you'll love it there! I'm in charge of the student body, so we always have such fun days! And then there's my Student Council!"

Her eyes sparkled, and a fond smile appeared on her face. "The Vice-President is such a grump, but he's really a dear. And our secretary is quite a beauty- not as pretty as me, but quite close. You'd like her, she's funny…" she spoke like this for a long time, making animated gestures when the stories of the Student Council's adventures (adventures to her, at least. To Lelouch, they were more like pursuits in pain and trauma) needed it.

Soon, Mamoru was swept up in her infectious enthusiasm, asking questions in a lively manner and smiling with all the genuineness of a happy child.

It was a credit to his enthusiasm that he even failed to notice Sayoko reentering the small office room, and in fact failed to realize she had slipped out at all.

Sayoko found it more a credit to her mistress's superb people skills- even in the face of a hostage situation, surrounded on all sides by men who would kill her or exploit her in a second, she remained calm and more concerned with keeping the morale of others up.

"Mamoru-kun?" the princess asked softly. "Would you mind putting away this trash?"

Mamoru nodded, sweeping up the empty trays and moving to pile them on a nearby shelf. As he stood, she stepped closer to Sayoko, murmuring a question.

"What happened?"

"A terrorist patrol. Two men, checking each office. I had to ambush them. We'll need to change locations soon," Sayoko reported softly, so that the boy wouldn't overhear. "My apologies, princess."

"No need to apologize, Sayoko," she said simply, smiling. "I'm quite certain we'll be rescued soon anyhow."

"As you say, princess," Sayoko agreed, bowing at the waist. "Until then, I will endeavor to do all I can to keep you safe."

"As always, your services do great credit to the Shinozaki Clan, Sayoko," Sumeragi Kaguya, Princess of the Sacred Empire and Priestess of the Sun, answered with a smile.

00000

"Slow down, please, Kallen-sama," Lelouch said hurriedly, one hand covering his free ear so that he could understand her better. "Please, try to make the report more clear."

_"I am telling you,"_ Kallen hissed through a burst of static,_ "There's something weird going on here, I can feel it. We need to rethink our strategy."_

Lelouch frowned. "I admit this encounter is troubling, but hardly a reason to halt the operation. Your instincts aside, everything else has gone according to plan."

"_But_-"

"Kallen-sama," Lelouch interrupted, trying to inject a gentle tone into his voice. "Lives depend on the speed of our operation here. We cannot afford to second guess ourselves with so much at stake."

Kallen was silent for a long while, before she said grudgingly, _"Fine._ Hiryu _out." _

As the line went silent, Lelouch let out a slow, steady breath. Despite his assurances to her, Lelouch himself could not dismiss Kallen's intuition. It fit in with his suspicion that Clovis was being manipulated as a cats-paw, and meant that someone else was playing an entirely different game. Or it could be nothing, of course, but Lelouch was not going to bet lives on that.

Whatever it was that Kallen had encountered, it was a complication in an already delicate scenario.

Lelouch sat back down into the chair Naoto assigned for him in the command center, and began to think, keeping a steady hand over his Geass all the while.

00000

"They didn't listen?" Inoue asked her curiously, as Kallen finished the transmission.

Kallen shook her head.

"No," she admitted reluctantly, "But they have a point. We should keep moving. The rooftop teams can't possibly keep us from being detected forever."

Her voice was brisk and professional as she attempted to hide her frustration from the others. With a sharp nod she motioned the rest of her team to continue to fan out down the corridor, keeping their weapons raised high.

As they moved down the deserted airport complex, passing a cheerfully lit but disturbingly empty coffee shop and popular fast food chain (Kallen dimly remembered the food being known as 'Taco… something or other') , Kallen began to doubt her own instincts. One crazy person and she was starting to get unnerved- Rei was probably laughing at her, really.

She gritted her teeth at the thought. Stupid masked jerk, mocking her- she'd been attacked! Nearly strangled!

Granted, she'd been on the battlefield innumerable times before this, and in a lot more danger than the previous incident, but even so… damn him.

(Elsewhere, Lelouch sneezed inside his helmet, and winced when he realized the snotty, disgusting truth of what had just happened. That was a health hazard he hadn't thought of, he realized, as he excused himself for a moment from the bridge.)

Kallen was distracted from her irritated thoughts as Yoshida held up a closed fist, the signal to stop all movement as they reached one of the primary food court areas, standing just at the corner. In a series of practiced hand signals, Kallen questioned what he'd found.

_Primary objectives. Hostiles._ Yoshida signaled back.

Kallen hurried over to his location, and peered around the corner as well. She spotted them immediately- two of them standing over the gathered hostages, while another two had their backs to a corner, leaning against the counter of a burger joint opposite their counterparts giving them a wide view of any approach. The fifth hostile, a bearded, older man, probably one of the more experienced of the team, was patrolling the perimeter, and was nearing their location.

She glanced around the area, taking in the location- there were a large number of plastic chairs and tables arranged in the area, though a large space had been cleared out in the center for the hostages to be held. There were also a few support pillars positioned around as well, which could block line of sight for both them and the terrorists.

The patrolling hostile would be passing one of them soon.

A plan formed in Kallen's head, and she quickly whispered instructions to the rest of her squad, who nodded in assent.

As the bearded man stepped behind the pillar, Kallen fired, putting a bullet right through his neck, and then two more through his chest with the soft coughs of her suppressed weapon. As he fell, Yoshida moved up and caught him, softening the sound of the fall. Kallen moved up behind him, and motioned for Inoue and one other to head over to the far pillar across from theirs and take up a firing position.

When they were all in position, Kallen signaled them to wait for her mark, and then set her sights on the terrorist on the near right, while Yoshida trained his gun on the other. With a deep breath, and still feeling that same buoyed confidence from before, Kallen fired.

As the four remaining hostiles dropped to the floor, dead, the rest of Kallen's team swept forward, guns still raised as they made their way to the hostages.

As the civilians were freed and Kallen assigned another small escort detail to take them back to the extraction point, she made a point to scan the crowd carefully, noting each face as they passed her by, often approaching timidly and thanking her with bows and murmured words. But when the last of the hostages was gone, she had not found their number one VIP.

"'_Orihime_' is not with this group either," Kallen reported over the radio, biting back a curse.

"_Understood, Kallen-sama,"_ Rei replied smoothly, his tone nothing but clinical professionalism that irritated her for some reason. _"Please proceed on to the next group, near Gate Twenty-Three. We're running out of time." _

Kallen held her peace, however. Arguing wouldn't help '_Orihime_', or anyone else.

_Be safe, Kaguya,_ Kallen prayed silently, and trudged along down the corridor, gripping her rifle tightly.

00000

"Princess, with all due respect, this is not safe," Sayoko warned sternly, a slight frown on her face that spoke volumes about how much she disapproved of the idea.

Kaguya smiled winningly back, even as she drew Mamoru closer to her, attaching the boy firmly to her side with a comforting arm.

"Nonsense," Kaguya replied dismissively, "Nothing will go wrong. My plan is perfect. Just wait for the signal."

She turned towards the boy and smiled at him gently, patting him on the head. "Now, Mamoru-kun, stay here with Sayoko, would you?"

The boy silently nodded, and she ruffled his hair again.

"Now, let's put on a show," Kaguya said, clapping her hands, before she smoothed out the simple, breathy sundress she wore and stepped out into the hallway.

To his credit, the terrorist who had been standing guard over the corridor seemed less than surprised, taking only a moment to take in her sudden appearance before raising his rifle.

"Oi. How did you get away?" he asked briskly, raising an eyebrow, reaching for his radio.

Kaguya fluttered her eyebrows, trying to put an alluring sway in her hips as she moved closer. "I didn't get away," she said, injecting a husky tone into her voice as she placed a hand over his, preventing him from reaching the radio. "I came to you."

To her surprise, he was not melting like putty in her hands before her (in her own opinion) irresistible charms, and instead pushed her away, a tad too roughly. "Very funny little girl. Go run back to your mother, and maybe I won't report this to the boss," he warned.

Her eyebrow twitched, but Kaguya forced her smile to remain. "Oh come on, mister. It must get lonely, being a mercenary… but such an exciting life!" her eyes sparkled, and she pouted prettily. "Please tell me about it."

"Okay, seriously, leave, girl," the terrorist rebuked, frowning now. "What are you, twelve? Ten? The whole seduction thing works better when you're not flat."

_FLAT?_

Kaguya's eyes blazed. "Sayoko. Drop this rude idiot, would you?"

"What-" was all he got out before he received the hilt of a kunai to the back of the head, swiftly knocking him out cold.

Kaguya sniffed.

"Serves you right," she said daintily, stepping over his body. "Come along, Mamoru-kun. Sayoko will hide this man until the proper authorities can arrest him for being so rude to a member of the Imperial Family- and for terrorism, of course."

"Understood, Kaguya-sama," Sayoko acknowledged, bowing at the waist as she went to do the bidding of her mistress.

Mamoru frowned. "Why was he here?" he questioned thoughtfully, "I thought everyone was taken to the other side of the airport."

"He must have been guarding something," Kaguya hypothesized, placing a finger against her cheek in contemplation. "Shall we go see what?"

"Mistress…" Sayoko's voice came up behind them, her disapproval audible as she returned from the task of hiding and restraining the man. "We really should be looking to avoid these people, not go looking for them."

"Come now, Sayoko, where's your sense of adventure?" Kaguya said cheerily, smiling. "Come along, Mamoru-kun. Let's see what the bad guys are hiding."

00000

"Why are we stopping here?" Suzaku questioned, glancing over at Milly curiously as she parked their truck inside a deserted warehouse outside of the airport proper. It was utterly empty, with only dust and rats as its occupants, from the looks of things, and smelled faintly of rust and oil.

Milly gave him a small, slightly condescending smile. "What, do you expect us to just drive on through the front door, past the perimeter the military set up, and then to jump right into an unknown situation? We could get a lot of people killed."

Suzaku had the grace to flush and look away. "Oh."

"Don't worry," Milly assured him, patting him on the shoulder. "I didn't expect you to be the brains of the operation."

He gave her a wry look. "Thanks."

"No thanks necessary, master," she replied with an understanding smile. "But in all seriousness, you should wait inside your Knightmare. You can't go inside with the _Caliburn_, so you'll have to strike carefully."

Suzaku frowned.

"I know you don't like sitting on your thumbs, Suzaku-sama," Milly said soothingly, "But we also can't make a bad situation worse- otherwise, we might as well not have come."

"You're right," Suzaku said, a tad reluctantly, as he exited the front of the truck.

As he circled around to the back and opened the truck door, Suzaku briefly thought he heard a faint rustling sound from inside the truck. With a frown, he opened it carefully- and was startled when, of all things, a crate nearly fell on top of him.

Suzaku yelped as he braced and caught the wooden box against his chest, though the force of the impact drove the breath from his body and caused him to wheeze.

"Guess I didn't secure that properly," he said, his voice slightly hoarse as he tried to regain his breath. "Either that or Milly's just that crazy a driver."

"I heard that," came a sing-song voice from the front of the truck.

Suzaku winced. He was probably going to regret that.

00000

Euphemia held back a sigh of relief as she heard Suzaku dismiss the falling crate as a result of his own carelessness. She hadn't meant to knock it over, but her leg had fallen asleep and in her efforts to get the blood flow going again she pushed it against the door.

Not for the first time since stowing aboard the truck, Euphemia sighed, and wondered what exactly she was doing there. She could get Suzaku and Milly caught, and then there was what she would do if _they_ found here there…

Her thoughts were interrupted as Suzaku climbed into the truck, and she reflexively stilled, not daring to move, or even breathe. He passed within a foot of her, and she was absolutely certain he would turn towards her and find her.

But instead, he merely closed his eyes, and murmured, "Open."

A sudden, fierce heat flashed through Euphemia's mind, and she felt as though she had momentarily been put in a third-person perspective of her own body. It faded as rapidly as it came, however, and left her feeling strangely disoriented, so much so that she almost missed the hissing sound of compressed air as the golden Knightmare _Caliburn_'s cockpit opened up and Suzaku clambered up inside.

_What… what was that? _Euphemia wondered, clasping her forehead lightly with one hand, doing her best to keep an eye on Suzaku with the other.

Unbidden, she began to murmur in soft whispering tones, her words leaden and mechanical, like those of a recording.

"CG-01 _Caliburn _online. Beginning warm up cycle of Yggdrasil Drive. Energy filler at capacity. Homunculus Drive link at thirty-five percent and holding…" Euphemia suddenly drew back, blood draining from her face as she suddenly regained control of herself. Just what was happening to her?

It must be the_ Caliburn_, she understood, peering again at the golden machine Suzaku was piloting. As soon as Suzaku started interacting with it, she started having that strange headache and speaking completely foreign, unknown words.

More determined than ever now to know the secrets Suzaku and Milly were keeping from her, Euphemia perched back down in the shadows, and waited for the _Caliburn_ to move.

00000

"Oi, Silverman, how much longer do have to sit here anyway?"

He frowned, cocking an irritated eyebrow at the man leaning up against the opposite wall. Silverman, was, of course, not his real name- no one here was using their real name for this operation. All aliases and assumed names, identities to be discarded after today. They were all basically strangers, each of them hired guns from all over the world, bought by the boss for this job.

"The boss said once the time was up we could evac, Richards, so just sit your ass down and wait," Silverman growled out, rolling his eyes. "Trust me, I don't like it any more than you do."

"I just don't like it, you know," Richards muttered, flicking a nervous glance at the door behind them, shifting his rifle in his hands as he did so. "Sitting so damn close to that thing."

Silverman eyed the door himself as though it was a coiled serpent, and suppressed a shudder. The boss paid well, that was for sure, but even a fat paycheck wasn't much if you were dead.

"It's either guarding the package or sitting out there with the civvies," Silverman shrugged. "Either way, we're on babysitting duty."

"So what is the package?"

Silverman blinked, and growled out irritably, "Don't mess around, Richards, you know damn well…"

He trailed off, suddenly realizing that hadn't been his partner's voice. With a sudden feeling of dread, he turned and saw Richards lying slumped against the wall, unconscious.

_ Oh shit-_

Silverman had just enough time to see the sweet, girlish smile of the Japanese girl who had suddenly appeared in front of him before he felt the cold, unmistakable touch of a knife against his throat.

00000

Kaguya clasped her hands behind her back and peered forward inquisitively at the terrorist, studying his features with an almost childish curiosity.

"Well, mister? What is it?" she questioned innocently.

Behind him, Sayoko tightened her chokehold over the man, pressing her kunai closer against his skin.

"B-bomb," came the stuttered answer, after Sayoko briefly heightened the pressure against his throat. "It's a Sakuradite bomb."

Kaguya smiled brightly. "Thank you, sir. You can go to sleep now."

And with that, Sayoko knocked him with a swift blow, sending him crashing to the floor, unconscious as well.

Kaguya brushed herself off as though speaking to the terrorist had dirtied her clothes, and sniffed.

"A bomb, huh?" she murmured to herself, looking suddenly irritated. "How distasteful."

"We should evacuate, Kaguya-sama," Sayoko cautioned, as she twined a piece of electrical tape around the terrorist's hands and feet, binding them. "The military should be just outside."

"No, not yet," Kaguya refuted, frowning now for the first time. "Let's see this bomb of theirs."

Without waiting for Sayoko's consent, she opened the door, and ventured on inside, with her maid following hurriedly behind.

While Sayoko made sure to scan the entirety of the room for any kind of traps, alarms, or surveillance, Kaguya headed straight for the box at the far end of the storage room, which was already open.

As she reached it, she questioned softly, without looking over at Sayoko, "Can you disarm it?"

Sayoko peered over the box and studied it for a few intense moments, before she reluctantly shook her head.

"I've had training in disarming explosives, but this is an expert's job. We'd need a specialist," she answered quietly.

Kaguya frowned.

"Then we'd best go find one," she said firmly, and turned on her heel. "Mamoru-kun? You can come out now. We're going.

00000

"We've secured the last hostages in this area, Kallen-sama," Inoue reported briskly, bowing at the waist as their men led away the recently liberated civilians. "With this, we can begin moving to stage two of the operation."

"Not just yet," Kallen interrupted briskly, a deep set frown on her face. "We still haven't located _Orihime_."

Inoue inclined her head in understanding. "Forgive me, Kallen-sama, but all of our data, including the video feed we've hijacked from the terrorists, indicates that we have freed all hostage groups under the control of the terrorists."

"But the princess still isn't here!" Kallen snapped back in a hurried whisper. "I am not evacuating anyone until we make sure Kaguya is safe-"

"_I'm afraid that is out of the question, Kallen-sama,_" interrupted Rei disapprovingly, in a burst of static. _"We are already pushing our luck as is. We cannot afford a delay." _

Kallen scowled, and the look on her face caused Inoue to back off. "Listen you, I don't care who the hell you think you are, I am not leaving my friend-"

"_I understand your dilemma, Kallen-sama,"_ Rei returned sharply, his voice terse, before it dropped a decibel and he said in gentler tones, _"Believe me, I understand. But the lives depend on you. We cannot afford to let them die through our own delays."_

If anything, his softer tones only incensed Kallen, causing her ire to boil over.

"Don't you _dare_ put that on me," she hissed into the communicator, "You're not the one staring these innocent people in the face, you bastard. But Kaguya is my friend, and I am not leaving her here to die."

"_We are_ not _leaving her to die, Kallen-sama," _Rei replied quietly, but there was a hint of steel in his voice, _"I never said anything about abandoning her. But right now we need to focus on what we can and cannot do. We can save these people, right now. But I promise you, I will not abandon the princess." _

Kallen frowned, stubbornly clenching her fists. "But-"

"_Need I remind you, Kallen-sama,"_ he broke in, voice now cold and distant as an Arctic glacier. _"I have overall tactical command of this operation. I do _not_ need your permission to move this mission to stage two." _

Silence reigned on for a few terse moments, until finally, Kallen scowled and spat out bitterly, "Yes sir."

And without waiting for a reply, she cut the link.

00000

Lelouch sighed as he released the radio button, wishing there had been another way to get Kallen to agree with him. If only he had more time…

"She's usually much more agreeable than that," Naoto said apologetically, giving the white-cloaked younger man a knowing look as he stood across from him at the command console. "She's just worried, that's all."

"I understand," Lelouch acknowledged, inclining his head. "To be honest, I completely agree with her. But…"

"But the lives of all those civilians cannot be discounted," Naoto agreed, sounding older than his years. "I would have made the same call."

Even with the mask on and his entire body swathed in the layers of his costume, Lelouch's internal conflict must have shown through in a kind of weighty miasma, as Naoto continued, "Making the right call, however much people hate you for it, however much you hate yourself for it, is nothing to be ashamed of. Not everyone has the stones for it."

Lelouch glanced over at Naoto and gave him a grateful look, though he knew it couldn't be seen.

"Thank you," he whispered softly, before turning his mind back to business. "But it's more than just not being able to find '_Orihime_'. It's that encounter with that strange man Kallen-sama had earlier as well. We've had a number of complications in an already impossibly tricky scenario, and yet not a single thing has gone truly wrong."

"No plan survives contact with the enemy," Naoto quoted, frowning as he flicked a glance up at Lelouch. "I see what you're saying. Do you think it's a trap?"

Lelouch shook his head. "I don't think so. I think someone has been playing a different game here from the beginning, using Clovis and the hostage situation as a cover."

Naoto gave him a skeptical look. "They took an entire airport full of people hostage and started an international incident as a _smokescreen? _Seems a bit of a stretch to me."

Undeterred by Naoto's tone of voice, Lelouch replied simply, "Clovis is my brother, remember that, Commander. I know him, and his mind. He isn't capable of pulling this off alone, and anyone smart enough to arrange this is smart enough to know they cannot actually gain the demands Clovis set up. So they're after something else."

"And what might that be?" Naoto questioned curiously.

"I don't know," Lelouch sighed, "And that's what truly frightens me, Commander."

00000

"Nasty little buggers, aren't they?" Luciano said observationally as he sat in a crouched position, staring down at his hand, which had a nasty looking red mark on it, as though he'd been bitten.

They had moved out to one of the garages in the complex that normally housed transit vehicles for the airport staff, but had been cleared out for their own personal use.

"My lord, we really should get that looked at," Marika cautioned, frowning as she moved closer to inspect the injury, but he waved her off.

"Please, this little bite is nothing. The drug doesn't make them inhuman beasts or werewolves or something, Marika, you know that," he said dismissively, barking out a short, harsh laugh. "Besides, I like it when the subjects have some fight in them. More importantly, are we still out of contact with the guards?"

Marika nodded, drawing back as she put a hand over the earpiece, tapping into the communication channel they had set aside. "Still no word. But the control room insists that they're all still there on the video feed, just incommunicado."

Luciano frowned, tapping a finger against the side of his cheek thoughtfully. "Hmm… tell them to reset the system. Hard reboot, all systems shut down."

Marika blinked, startled by the sudden, and rather unexpected command. "Y-yes my lord," she acknowledged, and repeated the orders back, verbatim, twice, after the subordinates on the other end protested.

Luciano began to whistle softly, taking out the switchblade he kept on his person as a habit and absently playing with it.

After a few moments, Marika's expression changed into one of astonishment, and then of worry. Face pale, she turned towards Luciano and spoke in a subdued tone. "They're… they're all dead, sir. And the hostages-"

"Are gone," Luciano finished, lips quirking ever so slightly. "Clever. A video loop. I'm betting the teams on the rooftop are gone as well."

Marika nodded shakily. "My lord… we've been severely compromised. The Empire has breached our defenses, and we've lost a significant amount of our manpower…"

Luciano's phone began to ring, and with a flourish, he pulled it out of his coat pocket and placed it to his ear.

"Ah, your highness," he chirped, "I take it then you've heard the news."

"_This is not time for your jokes, Luciano!"_ Clovis snapped, and Luciano could practically hear the spittle flying as the blonde ex-prince seethed. "_What are we going to do about this?" _

"_We_ are not going to do anything," Luciano replied simply, with a mocking smile.

"_What was that? Listen to me, you arrogant swine. I am Clovis La Brittania, and I am ordering you to-" _

Clovis' rant was cut mid-speech as Luciano interrupted whimsically, "You see, _you_ are just going to sit in your tower like a good royal and do nothing. I, on the other hand, am going to activate our backup plan."

"_Backup plan?"_ Clovis sputtered, sounding bewildered. _"We never had a contingency for something like this-"_

"You keep using that word," Luciano muttered, rolling his eyes as he flicked open his switchblade again, staring down at the gleaming metal.

Clovis fell silent, obviously still confused.

"There _is_ no we, your highness," he said slowly, using the title as a mockery of formality, "There's just you, and me. I am not your dog, or your dragon. You are not a prince, not right now, and maybe not ever. So sit there, smile, and let me do what I do best."

Clovis, undoubtedly stunned by his words, managed, _"Which is?"_

"Kill people,_"_ Luciano answered simply, and hung up the phone. As he set the phone back in his pocket and began to whistle that same jaunty tune again, he noticed his companion giving him an odd look.

"Sir, was that wise?" Marika asked curiously.

"We don't need him at this point," Luciano responded, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "And really, Marika, take stock of the situation. The hostages are still in the building. As is Clovis, and now the Japanese, just as we expected. Our plan has not deviated in the slightest. We still have the bomb, and we still have our boys."

With a devilish grin, he glanced back over to what was standing in the center of the garage. He sauntered over to the railings that separated the raised loading area from where the vehicles were kept, and gripped the rails with an almost feverish energy.

"In fact, I think now is the perfect time to let them have some fun, don't you?" Luciano flicked a glance over at her with an almost boyish grin. "We can use them as well as our remaining forces to set up a delaying action until the bomb is ready to detonate, and it gives us the perfect chance to test them out in real combat. Really, this is actually just the scenario we had envisioned when we began this operation."

Marika looked doubtful for a moment, before she inclined her head and bowed deeply. "Yes, my lord. Understood."

Luciano licked his lips, and glanced up at the five Sidhe Knightmares waiting in the center of the garage, all silent. A sixth stood off to the side, cockpit empty and open, its pilot having been lost earlier.

"Time to play, kiddies," he said gleefully, clapping his hands.

As one, the machines awoke, eyes as red as the fires of hell.

00000

Lelouch hissed suddenly as a brief but searing pain flashed through his mind, causing him to double over, gripping the sides of the command console tightly- his Geass was reacting against something.

Naoto peered over at him, a flash of concern in his eyes.

"You okay?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"There's something coming," Lelouch murmured, as if he hadn't heard the question. With his expanded, supernatural awareness, he could feel the burning presences of more of those unusual auras that had attacked Kallen, their presence like second suns, making the minds of all others nearby seem like flickering candles in the wind.

Without thinking, he pressed down on the communication button. "Kallen-sama, report."

For a few moments, there was no response, and Lelouch feared the worst. Then, in a burst of static, Kallen's voice came through, irritated, but very much alive._ "We're moving the last of the civilians outside to the staging area, command. A majority of them are already loaded onto the airplane, including the pilots and some of my team."_

Lelouch resisted the urge to breathe a sigh of relief. They weren't out of the woods yet. "Nothing unusual to report?" he questioned.

"_No, sir,"_ Kallen said slowly, adding the sir with a not too subtle amount of disdain, _"Nothing unusual at all, sir."_

Lelouch ignored her tone, too panicked by the unexplainable presence on the edges of his Geass to care. "Please be careful, Kallen-sama. I've reason to believe that the enemy is moving against you."

"_Hmph, so now there's time for delays, huh?"_ Kallen questioned, a note of bitterness in her voice. "_Why don't you take your warning and shove it up your-"_

Whatever part of his anatomy Kallen was about to suggest was lost in the wake of what was unmistakably the sound of an explosion, followed swiftly by the booming roar of a Knightmare Frame's gun.

And then nothing.

"Kallen-sama, report. Kallen-sama, please, report. Say something. Anything." Lelouch stood ramrod straight, pressing down on the button with as much force as he could muster, as though it would cause the channel to open back up again.

As a response failed to come through and the buzz of static continued, his composure slipped and he barked out desperately, "Kallen! Report!"

But there was nothing but silence.

With a burst of energy borne of despair, Lelouch looked up at Naoto, who had gone pale and gray.

"Mobilize our remaining forces and ready them for battle. Prepare the Amaterasu for battlefield insertion," Lelouch said briskly, trying to regain control over himself, when inside all he wanted to do was scream and curse his own helplessness. "We have to regain control of the situation ASAP."

Naoto, to his credit, regained himself swiftly, swallowing once before nodding crisply. He turned towards the rest of the bridge crew and barked, "You heard the man. I want all our Knightmare teams off standby and out there in two minutes. And get Alice on the line- I want her to prep the _Amaterasu_ for immediate deployment."

Naoto glanced back at Lelouch. "How are we going to get it to her? If we try to break through and deliver, it could take way too long…"

Lelouch frowned. "Do you have any VTOL aircraft on hand that can deliver Knightmares to a battlefield?"

"I do…" Naoto said slowly, puzzling out what the younger man had in mind. "You want to drop the _Amaterasu _directly into the battlefield without a pilot?"

"We can synchronize with Kallen-sama and arrange the drop," Lelouch said quickly, though his words hitched at her name, leaving out the unsaid words neither of them wanted to hear.

_Assuming she's still alive._

00000

"GET THAT PLANE OFF THE TARMAC NOW!" Kallen practically roared into her earpiece, firing off a few rounds fruitlessly at the rapidly incoming Sidhe-class Knightmare. "Everyone else, get us some covering fire! Move the civilians back inside! Make sure that plane gets out of here!"

Thankfully, the Knightmare seemed more interested in taking down the live prey in front of it than going after the seemingly empty airplanes, and its allies were a considerable distance behind, still in formation.

"We need a grenade!" Kallen barked, and one of her team complied, hurling the explosive toward the incoming Knightmare defiantly.

However, the Knightmare avoided the small explosion easily, and raised its gun to return fire.

"Everyone get down!" Kallen screamed desperately, tackling a mother who had been clutching desperately to her two children to the ground just before the first blasts of the Knightmare's gun hit, knocking several nearby people down to the ground violently- and those were the lucky ones.

The ones who had taken a bullet directly were utterly torn to shreds in the force and size of the slug, and those too, were lucky. Those cursed worst of all were the ones who had taken a sideswiping hit, losing a limb or two to the blast, and would die slowly of blood loss because Kallen couldn't get any help to them in time.

She processed this entirely within the span of a few seconds as she lay dazed upon the ground, recognizing just how bad the situation really was.

And more importantly, that they were all about to die.

Her shock only faded away as a hand wrapped around her arm and jerked her back up, and the concerned face of Inoue appeared in her vision, shouting inaudible words.

Kallen blinked, and tried to focus.

"- need to get back inside!" Inoue repeated, shaking her slightly to get her attention.

And with those words, she managed to regain control of herself, and took stock of the rest of the situation. Several members of her squad had taken it upon themselves to provide futile covering fire for the civilians, firing their assault rifles at the oncoming Knightmares as effectively as throwing pebbles to stop the tide.

Kallen swore, whirled about, and opened fire as well. As she emptied a clip at one of the Knightmares before ducking behind a group of stacked crates, she ordered swiftly, "Inoue, get the civvies out of here! Head inside, now! Team two, get that damn plane off the ground!"

_"Engines powered up and the pilots say we can leave at any time, Kallen-sama,"_ came the reply of Masaharu, one of the ones she'd left in charge of things on the airplane. _"But you and the others…"_

"Will have to find an alternate route of escape. Get out of here, now. That's an order," Kallen all but snarled, and Masaharu paused only for a single, pregnant second, before he acknowledged the order and the link cut off.

Of course, a cynical, but experienced part of Kallen's mind noted immediately that such a thing was, for all intents and purposes, impossible. Knightmares were fast, heavily armed, and all but impervious to handheld weaponry - it would be like getting guppies to escape hungry sharks.

In the distance, the airplane roared to life, and the lead Knightmare Frame reacted instantly, opening its Factsphere sensor up to find the source of the sound.

"No!" Kallen cursed- most pilots would have been too distracted to notice such a thing in the middle of battle, but it seemed whoever was behind that Sidhe had an abnormal level of perception about them.

Desperately, Kallen reached into the tactical gear belt around her waist, wracking her brain for any and all things she could use. Knife, first aid kit, flashbang…

Her hand stilled over the last one, and she smiled grimly. It wouldn't do much, but a last ditch hope, a bet of a thousand to one, was better than nothing. Waiting until the hellish sounds of the Knightmare's gears were almost upon her, Kallen rose up from behind the crates and hurled the flashbang right at the open Factsphere of the Sidhe Knightmare, even as it raised its gun to fire.

The blinding white light enveloped the Knightmare, and it swerved violently to the side, slamming into the metal crates with a violent crash.

Kallen, though jarred by the impact, took the opportunity to burst out from cover, still firing on the other Knightmares. Inoue and the civilians had put some distance now between themselves and the terrorists, but the rest of her squad was nowhere to be seen.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the airplane gaining air, rapidly ascending into the sky, and smiled briefly. At least some of them had gotten out, she thought, and that alone helped make things better.

That was all the contemplation she had time for, however, as the rest of the Knightmares were rapidly catching up with her, and Kallen was once more forced to dive for cover behind an abandoned metal baggage cart. She was about to hunker down and start looking for the other flashbang she'd taken from the armory before the mission had started when a loud cry caught her attention.

_ Oh no. _

There, out in the open, left behind by the rest of the panicked civilians, was a single crying little girl in a dirty pink blouse and jeans, completely and utterly defenseless in the face of the oncoming Knightmares. She wept openly, a gash on her leg that was bleeding heavily keeping her from moving very far.

Every piece of battlefield strategy and experience Kallen had drilled into her brain since the days she trained under Toudou-sensei screamed at her to abandon the girl, that there was nothing left to do. One normal human armed with little more than a rifle against several Knightmare Frames wasn't just stupid, it was risking the lives of everyone else in the operation by depriving them of a proper chain of command after she died.

_Save who you can_, Toudou-sensei's gravelly voice instructed tonelessly, his eyes flecks of stony obsidian. _The battlefield will never be kind, Kallen. It will never be considerate. You defend your comrades as best you can, but you never swing your sword in a battle that cannot be won. _

It was one of the first lessons she had learned as a soldier, the day she became blooded in a skirmish against the Eurasian Federation under Toudou-sensei's command. She had run into an ambush in an urban environment after receiving a distress call from a downed Kukai Knightmare on their side, and barely survived thanks to Toudou's intervention. He had taken her aside that day and drilled those words into her head, refusing to even allow her onto the battlefield until she could repeat them back to him verbatim.

Even her brother's voice joined in on the chorus, begging her not to move out into the open, not to throw away her life.

Kallen told all of that to _fuck off. _

With adrenaline buzzing in her veins and no thoughts except reaching the girl in time on her mind, Kallen leapt from behind the cart, making it over to the girl at a dead run and scooping her up.

However, the Knightmare Frame in the lead reacted with an inhuman level of reactionary time that would at any other time have given Kallen pause and a moment of professional respect, and raised its rifle. The shots managed to knock Kallen off balance only a few steps after she had grabbed the girl, causing her to fall forwards.

At the last possible second, Kallen twisted and used her own body to protect the girl from the impact against the ground, wincing as her shoulder made contact with the unforgiving concrete.

"Don't look," Kallen whispered to the girl, as she pulled the small child to her breast, hoping that at least her body could offer some measure of protection.

The Knightmare Frame loomed over her like a leering metal demon, and Kallen shut her eyes, hating that she couldn't look her own death in the eyes.

The screaming retort of a Knightmare's rifle filled her ears, and Kallen apologized to her brother mentally for failing.

But instead of being torn apart by the high-caliber shells, Kallen instead heard the sound of the bullets slamming into something large, metal, and tough.

Curious, Kallen opened one of her eyes just a fraction, and if her jaw could have dropped a mile, it would have.

Standing over her protectively, wielding that same massive blade as before like a golden knight dropped from the sky, was _Jinchuu_.

00000

_ Thank God I made it in time_, Suzaku thought to himself, feeling as though a ten-ton weight had been lifted from his chest, his heart released from a cruel vise.

If Milly hadn't informed him that some of the hostages were being moved outside and he hadn't come to look, Kallen might have…

He quashed the thought as the Knightmare in front of him charged him. The Sidhe was armed with a single massive lance and a submachine gun, designed for brutal close-quarters work, Suzaku remembered, though he'd never fought one before.

The Sidhe fired off a few rounds, but Suzaku dodged them easily, using the _Caliburn_'s superior speed to his advantage as he closed the distance, trying to bring the fight away from Kallen and the civilians. As he closed the distance, the enemy Knightmare swiped at him with the lance, and Suzaku narrowly dodged it, slashing back with a fury, but it was blocked swiftly with a quick turn of the lance.

Suzaku's eyes widened a fraction._ That was fast- _

Before he could gather his wits, the Sidhe went on the offensive again, stabbing and slashing in a series of brutally quick strikes that drove Suzaku back. Eventually, however, Suzaku regained his footing, and started countering the blows instead of just blocking them, pushing his enemy back.

Sensing a weak point, Suzaku drove forward and with a twist, parried a lance strike-

Only to discover it was a feint, and the Sidhe was actually pulling away, raising its submachine gun and putting several rounds point blank into the _Caliburn_'s face.

Suzaku was rocked back and forth in the cockpit, head spinning from the violent impact of the blasts. If not for his machine's unnatural metal armor, he would have been killed already. As it was, he struggled to regain his balance, but before he could, the Sidhe slammed into him again, striking hard with the lance.

Suzaku managed to raise a half-hearted guard that was easily broken, sending his Knightmare slamming down into the ground with a tremendous crash.

As he struggled to pull himself back up, he saw one of the other enemy Knightmares closing in fast, lance raised to deliver a coup de grace. In a panicked burst of energy, Suzaku jerked the _Caliburn_ to one side, rolling it away and managing to pull the machine upright as he slammed into and braced up against a concrete wall.

Like sharks, both Sidhe Knightmares closed in, and out of the corner of his eye, Suzaku spotted Kallen still standing there, open mouthed and watching him.

Mentally willing the external speakers to open, Suzaku barked out quickly, trying to deepen his voice to disguise it, "What are you waiting for, idiot? Get that girl and go!"

That was all he had time for, as the enemy machines finishing closing the distance, lances striking with that same unnatural precision and speed as before. Suzaku parried and blocked each blow, but the sheer number of strikes both Knightmares continued to press upon him made it impossible to do more than keep up a defensive position.

With a low, frustrated growl, Suzaku willed that terrible azure power to awaken again, and the _Caliburn_'s sword began to pulse with energy once again. His parrying blows hit harder now, actually pushing the enemy back slightly-

And that was when a third Sidhe joined the fray, timing its blows perfectly, joining the battle seamlessly. But it wasn't as though all three Knightmares were instinctively working together- rather, it was more like when one made a move, the others reacted, three independent minds watching each other even as they fought him.

"This just isn't fair", Suzaku complained tiredly, panting with the effort as he was once again pushed back against the wall.

The radio buzzed, and Milly's voice came through over a buzz of static. _"Suzaku-sama, perhaps it would be a good time to run." _

A bead of sweat ran down his face and he growled in annoyance as he blocked two lance strikes, the whole of the _Caliburn_'s frame shuddering from the impact as he did so.

"I can't run," he bit out, parrying the third Knightmare's attack as he did so, "They'll just go after the civilians-"

"_Not if you make them chase you,_ dummy," Milly said patiently, though there was just a hint of annoyed resignation in her voice.

"Oh," Suzaku said blankly, so surprised he nearly failed to stop the next series of blows, "That makes sense."

"_Of course it does. Now, do what you do best, hero." _

"Yes ma'am," Suzaku said flippantly, lips briefly turning into a grin before gritting his teeth, he tried to bring out more of that energy, though now it was harder, like wringing water out of a particularly stubborn piece of cloth. He wasn't fully sure how this technique worked, but as long as it did and he knew how to utilize it, Suzaku wasn't about to complain.

As the energy reached critical, Suzaku let out a wordless shout and swung the blade, once more unleashing that same wave of cutting energy as before.

Two of the Knightmares on his left and right respectively sprang away, avoiding the attack, but the third was trapped right in the middle, and was slashed in neat halves. The bisected machine toppled to the ground in a burning wreck, and even gave its companions pause at the sheer amount of destructive force that had ruined it.

Using the opportunity for a breakthrough, Suzaku dashed into the newly created opening. As he hoped, the two remaining Knightmares began to give chase.

"Please get somewhere safe, Kallen," Suzaku prayed quietly.

00000

Kallen watched the _Caliburn_ lure away the remaining enemies with an expression that was a curious mixture that could only be described as disgusted gratitude. Being saved by a sworn enemy like that was humiliating, but then again, _Jinchuu_ had also saved the lives of her team and the civilians they were protecting.

With an annoyed sigh, Kallen hefted the little girl in her arms, who had gone silent in the wake of the ferocious Knightmare battle, and began trudging towards where Inoue and the others had gathered at the far end of the airstrip.

"Inoue, what's our status?" she questioned breathlessly.

Inoue paused for a moment, offering her arm, which Kallen gave her a grateful look for as she passed the little girl over, before she spoke.

"Civilian casualties are miraculously light, with only four wounded, but we lost Saito, Saburo, Minaka, and Asuka. Yagami and Ishiyama are wounded and need evac ASAP. Tatsumi's looking after them, though he's injured as well."

Kallen grimaced. Seven casualties, including four fatalities, plus the others of her team that were on the plane that just left meant the effectives on her team were cut down to herself, Inoue, and Yoshida. If they lost any more it would be impossible to maintain control of the situation, if they could at all.

"Get in contact with HQ, let them know what's happening," Kallen ordered briskly, keeping the tension out of her voice as much as possible. "And let's get these people moving before anything else shows up-"

As soon as she said those words, Kallen regretted it, because she knew what would happen next.

In an act that could only be described as a brutal punctuation on her sentence, the Knightmare she had blinded earlier had staggered to its feet, and was staring straight at their wounded and beleaguered group. It had lost its gun and spear, thankfully, but a Knightmare Frame's sheer mass could do plenty of damage, not to mention the Slash Harkens.

"RUN!" Kallen shouted, grabbing Inoue and pulling her along, signaling Yoshida to get the civilians moving again. She spun around, emptying the rest of her gun's clip into the Knightmare, more as a futile gesture of defiance than anything else.

They sprinted along the concrete as Kallen scanned around, desperately trying to find a way out of this deathtrap.

"Kallen-chan! Over here!"

The familiarity of the voice combined with the nickname that no one other than her mother and this person used, caused Kallen's head to whip around instinctively, finding the source of the noise instantly.

There, waving and smiling as though they were greeting each other off the street, was Kaguya. Next to her stood her bodyguard from the Shinozaki Clan, Sayoko, who was holding open a heavy steel service door with more ease than should be possible with her slender frame.

"Come along, quickly now!" Kaguya urged, seemingly oblivious to Kallen's shock, gesturing for Yoshida to bring the civilians through the door. "Don't dawdle!"

It was only when Inoue shook her slightly that Kallen was brought back to reality, and bolted towards Kaguya, sprinting helter-skelter for the door, all the while painfully aware of the roar of the Knightmare's wheels as it inched ever closer.

Kallen slammed through the door last, chancing a look back as the Knightmare raised its single massive fist-

And then Sayoko slammed the heavy steel door shut, pushing Kallen away from it in the same movement. The door shuddered under the impact, but held strong.

"Blast doors, developed specifically to repel high-yield explosives. Without its weapons, even a Knightmare Frame can't get through. And with the walls lined with similar steel-coating, it would take some time for the enemy to break through," Sayoko explained calmly, before she bowed deeply at the waist. "Kallen-sama, you are looking well."

"Thank you, Sayoko," Kallen began formally, bowing slightly in gratitude as well-

Before she was able to finish the greeting, however, she was hit in the middle with what amounted to a black haired cannonball, tackled neatly to the ground with a force that was utterly impressive for such a petite girl.

"Kallen-chan!" Kaguya said happily, sitting atop her stomach like an over-eager puppy. "It's been too long!"

A flood of feelings rushed through Kallen at that moment. Relief, joy, a renewal of hope. But most of all…

"Kaguya-san… please, stop nuzzling my breasts."

Kaguya only grinned. "But you've grown again! What's your secret, Kallen-chan! Lots of milk? Scented mineral baths? Or is it that Zen meditation Toudou-kun always has you do?"

Kallen sighed, and gently lifted Kaguya off of her, shaking her head as she did so.

"I really doubt now is the right time for… 'that' kind of discussion," she said delicately, and glanced back over at Sayoko. "How did you find us?"

"The gentlemen in the control room were nice enough to help us out," Kaguya answered instead, smiling widely. The implications of the statement became clear when Sayoko simply smiled and inclined her head, and Kallen shook her head again.

"Well, in any case, we need to call command, give them an update on the situation," Kallen began, turning away as she put her hand on her ear.

"Wait, Kallen-sama," Sayoko interrupted quietly, bowing in apology. "There is a matter of grave importance we must discuss first. If there was a way for me to speak with your commanding officers as well, it would expedite the process, as we are likely short on time."

The brisk, professional tone gave Kallen pause, and she nodded in agreement, asking one of the wounded members of her squad, Yagami, for his comm-piece.

Sayoko accepted the device and placed it in her ear, giving another nod to Kallen when she was ready.

"_Hiryu_ to Command, _Hiryu_ to Command," Kallen called out quietly, and within a heartbeat she had a response.

"_Kallen! Er, Kallen-sama, you're okay!"_ Rei blurted, sounding relieved. _"Thank God. We have our forces on route to your location. What's your status?"_

"The airplane we were using has taken off, and hopefully should reach your position soon. However, several of my team are wounded, and need immediate evac, and we still have a large number of hostages with us. I'll try to move us to a secondary fallback position for a rendezvous. Be advised, Command, the enemy has more force than originally projected- they have several Sidhe Knightmares, and skilled, ace-level pilots commanding them." Kallen bit her lip, not really eager to go into the next part. But she was a professional soldier, and there were more important things in this world than pride. "Also, _Jinchuu_ has arrived in the area, and has intervened with unknown intent. He does not seem to be hostile towards us at the moment, however."

Kallen distinctly heard Rei suck in a breath, and felt a moment of grim amusement that even that arrogant masked madman could be thrown for a loop.

"_Understood,_ Hiryu. _We will begin adjusting our scenario accordingly. I'm having Taiyou-One bring you the Amaterasu immediately,"_ Rei instructed briskly.

"One more thing, command. We found_ Orihime_, and her bodyguard has some critical information for us," Kallen interrupted, and glanced over at Sayoko, giving her a slight nod.

Sayoko coughed slightly, and then spoke. "My apologies. A few minutes ago my mistress and I came upon some of the terrorists guarding a locked room. Upon further investigation and inquiry, we discovered a powerful Sakuradite bomb, more than capable of leveling this facility, set to go off a little after the terrorist's stated deadline. By my estimate, we have an hour to evacuate."

00000

There was silence in the wake of the maid's announcement, until Naoto swore loudly and violently.

Lelouch was right there along with him, though he refrained from making any kind of comment, as any kind of curse withered and died in his throat.

Clinically, his mind whirred with the oncoming information, processing and filing it mechanically, presenting him with a complete logical picture of the scenario as it stood.

The hostages and Kallen's team were pinned down inside of the complex. With them were the remaining terrorists, including several Knightmares. Outside was a third party, _Jinchuu_, who could either be an enemy or an ally at the moment, and who was apparently battling several more Knightmares the enemy had evidently been keeping as a trump card. The possibility of more surprises from the enemy remained high. Lastly, and most importantly, was that they were trapped with an explosive device set to detonate in less than an hour.

His mind was trying to grind to a halt, overcome with despair, but Lelouch gritted his teeth and fought it, demanding his brain keep working.

Slowly, he expanded his consciousness once again using his Geass, feeling the minds of all those around him until he had a picture of the airport. He could still feel Kallen's presence, though her team had drastically diminished, several minds vanishing completely, others faltering like dying flames. The civilians were near to panic, so he pushed upon their emotions until they calmed.

Next, he swept his mind over to where those unusually strong minds were-

And was near blinded- somehow, they had flared up, even brighter and more powerful than before, their emotions pulsing like miniature suns. Those minds had to be the ones piloting the Sidhe Knightmares that attacked Kallen.

And yet… there was one among them that stood out- one that, Lelouch realized, was actively fighting the others.

_Jinchuu?_ Lelouch blinked. _That _was what this terrorist's mind looked like? The mind of the pilot of that golden machine was blazing hot, his emotions clear as day- raw, unrelenting determination, enough to shake the foundations of the world.

Frowning, Lelouch decided to experiment, and hurled his own will against that of _Jinchuu's_-

And stumbled back, clutching at his mask in an attempt to reach his forehead as a searing wave of pain struck him. The world in front of his eyes went dizzy and clouded as a strange headache overtook him.

It had been like trying to grab on to a tray right out of the oven without oven mitts- the sheer amount of emotion that was obviously artificially being amplified made it impossible for Lelouch's will to come near it and not be rebuffed.

So now there were two different enemy forces that one of his primary weapons, Geass, could do nothing against. Lelouch gritted his teeth, suddenly irritated. How did things keep getting worse?

_Think. Think. Think. Whatever you do, do _not_ stop thinking of a way to save everyone. _

Lelouch sighed, and broke the situation down clinically, trying to view it from a different angle and taking stock of what weapons and tools he had on hand.

One, his Geass. He could keep the situation monitored and under control… except for those strange minds that resisted his influence.

Two, Naoto's forces. Bringing more troops in meant risking more lives, however, and with an unknown bomb in the equation, he would rather avoid creating a battle that might be averted.

Three, Kallen's weakened and near marginalized force… except for Kallen herself, he supposed. If he could get her to the _Amaterasu_, that might be enough to force a breakthrough and get the civilians away in time.

Lelouch's jaw clenched tightly, his face beneath the mask a deep frown. There had to be more.

"It's like _tsumeshogi_," Naoto commented darkly, frowning over the viewscreen, obviously as shaken as Lelouch.

"_Tsumeshogi_?" Lelouch questioned, blinking, speaking more to distract himself from the problems at hand than out of any true curiosity. "You mean, those one-sided Shogi matches?"

"This is a situation in which one side must checkmate the other in as few moves as possible, while the other delays until too many moves have passed. It's not exactly the same, but it feels kind of similar," Naoto explained distractedly. "We keep trying to push this into endgame, and they keep putting us off. At this rate, we would need a miracle to win without losing countless lives."

"You're right," Lelouch agreed softly, biting his lip. Win in the least moves possible… There had to be a way to do that. It was like a chessboard…

"Argh, it's all useless…" he spoke softly, as his eyes widened with a dawning realization. "Unless we try to use the opponent's move against him."

Naoto blinked, his expression one of disbelief and confusion. "Use the… how can we use a situation like this to our advantage?"

"Clovis is many things, but he's not suicidal, nor does he have the bravado to pull off something like this as a bluff," Lelouch pressed, his voice feverish as his mind raced ahead, creating new possibilities in the scenario. "He cannot possibly know about this bomb. If you will allow me to open a channel, a proclamation like this could divide and scatter our enemies. There has to be a division within our enemies- those who know of the bomb, and those who do not."

The commander tilted his head, trying to follow along with the younger man's train of logical thought, hoping to find the miracle of victory at the end. "Even if that is the case, there's still any number of real opponents who will prevent us from dealing with the bomb."

Lelouch shook his head, having already considered the possibility. "If we can get Kallen the _Amaterasu_… that much firepower could break through the blockade at the main road entrance, and get those hostages out safely. Our original plan of using the airline jets is scrapped now- we have no idea if those have been sabotaged as well."

"What about defusing the bomb?" Naoto questioned. "I have a few demolitions experts in my regiment."

"Too risky. We don't have enough time to coordinate both another insertion and an extraction," Lelouch replied, shaking his head. "Besides… if we can get the hostages and Kallen's team out in time, the bomb will wipe out _Jinchuu_ alongside the rest of the terrorists who don't get out."

The cold practicality of the idea stunned Naoto. True, if they simply let the bomb detonate, it would destroy one of the foremost threats to their operation in Brittania, alongside whatever terrorists were caught up in the blast, thereby cleaning up the mess for them. The cost of rebuilding the airport could be written off as a necessary sacrifice, and he was sure that, given the right spin on things, Kirihara and the Imperial Council would acknowledge that.

But still… Naoto gave Lelouch and a considering look, his opinion of the young man altered somewhat in the face of such ruthlessness. Beneath the veneer of guilt-driven determination was a mind that was brutally intelligent, capable of discerning the best solution to a problem regardless of cost. It was the mind of a born strategist, but it didn't quite match up with the hero-complex obsessed young man he had met, as if this was the true nature of Lelouch Lamperouge, and the hero-complex was some sort of ingrained habit he could not break.

"Hell of a plan… and though I hate to nitpick, we also must capture the masterminds behind this plot. The Empire will not let this kind of insult slide, and I'm not letting these madmen get away," Naoto murmured, frowning. "So now we have three objectives, several wounded, two different enemies and a huge number of noncombatants sitting smack dab in the middle of a war zone, and a time limit to boot."

"We can do it," Lelouch assured him quietly, and Naoto looked up into that mirror-face of a mask with an unreadable look. "We can save these people. A miracle will only occur if we believe in it, unto the very end, even if the odds set to zero. And I promise you this now- I will achieve a miracle, and save everyone."

Naoto held his gaze for a long moment, and then his face broke out into a roguish smile.

"Then let's make a miracle."

00000

"That arrogant, two-faced lunatic!" Clovis spat, seething as he stalked amidst the control tower consoles. He hated feeling useless, ever since those days when the Imperial Palace would rumble and shake from the night air raids, and in the wake of his father's death when confusion reigned amongst the Imperial Family, until Schneizel (Schneizel, the ever-brilliant, the shining star) took command and sent word to Odysseus, who had been sent with several other of their siblings to Windsor Castle, to sue for peace.

All Clovis could do in those days was sit around and attempt to comfort his ailing mother, now dead after these long seven years of hiding and scraping a living overseas.

He would not lose to this. He would rise above it, as befitting one who bore the name of "Brittania", and claim the birthright he deserved.

"_bzttt… Prince Clovis La Brittania…" _

Clovis blinked, certain he was hearing things.

"… _hailing Clovis La Brittania, Third Prince of Brittania…_"

The voice wasn't coming from the two-way radio on his hip, but from a nearby console, whose screen flickered with life.

Hesitantly, Clovis stepped over to the machine, and pressed down on a button. "Yes?"

There was a noticeable pause, and Clovis shook his head, ready to dismiss the voice as a figment of his stress addled imagination, when it spoke again.

"_Ah, Prince Clovis. At last."_ The voice on the other end sounded oddly familiar, and strangely pained. _"My apologies in advance for skipping the formalities and title naming and such, but we have very little time." _

Clovis sputtered and froze on the spot, not quite sure how to take this sudden and unwelcome new dialogue. Of course, he didn't have much of a choice, it seemed.

"_It seems you've been betrayed, my prince," _the voice continued smoothly, and Clovis felt he must have imagined that silent agony in the voice before, _"One of your subordinates has planted a bomb in the airport, and is going to detonate it without your knowledge, I believe. If you wish to check for yourself, it's on the first floor, in the storage locker at Terminal Three."_

"A-a bomb?" Clovis stammered, blinking wildly in confusion.

"_I see I was correct,"_ the voice murmured, and once more, there was a hint of familiarity in that tone that gave Clovis pause. _"Well, then I must assume your subordinates wanted to betray you and pin the blame on you as they made their escape._"

The subordinate in question was brought to mind immediately, and Clovis' eyes narrowed as he hissed one word. "Luciano."

"_What was that name?"_ The person on the other end sounded weirdly curious, but in his rage, he barely paid it any mind.

"That damn mercenary," Clovis continued, seething as he pounded a glove fist against the metal console, "He set me up!"

"_Well, not for long. Me and my employers have a vested interest in keeping you alive, and if you do as I say, you should come out of this alive and well," _the voice assured him silkily.

Clovis didn't even hesitate.

"What do I need to do?"

00000

"You didn't tell him who you were working for," Naoto observed, his tone reserving judgment, as Lelouch cut the connection.

"He would never have agreed. This way, we can also capture him as well," Lelouch replied simply, though there was a note of quiet exhaustion in his voice. "How much longer till we can get Kallen-sama the _Amaterasu_?"

"ETA in approximately ten minutes," Sancia reported, holding a hand over the radio-earpiece she wore. "VTOL is fueled and prepped for takeoff."

"Good," Lelouch murmured, sighing for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "The rooftop teams should also be on their way to their staging area. We need to consolidate our forces if we're to make this plan work."

"They've made their way to the bottom floor, and should be reaching the designated point within ten minutes as well, to synchronize with Kallen-sama," Minami responded briskly.

"Tell them not to rush. The plan hinges on their arrival at the right time, and not a minute before," Lelouch said calmly, "Have them make a thorough sweep before the rendezvous. If we do have to let this bomb go off, I'm not leaving a single civilian behind, understand?"

"Incoming message from the Imperial Council in Kyoto," Sancia announced, tapping her console as she brought up the missive. "We have a new directive, straight from Chief Minister Kirihara, with all the backing of His Divine Majesty, the Emperor."

"What is it?" Lelouch questioned, leaning forward.

"Now that Princess Kaguya has been found, we are to immediately extract her from the airport with all haste possible. Kallen-sama is to remain with her at all times. The lives of all other civilians are…" Sancia hesitated for a moment, "Secondary."

Lelouch's fists tightened, his gloves audibly crinkling as he heard that last word.

"We can't ignore this," Naoto said softly, only to Lelouch. "Not this order, not in this situation. I know earlier we prioritized the lives of the many, but that was before the homeland got involved."

"I know," Lelouch whispered back, and nodded in acceptance. "Understood. Proceed on with the operation as planned. Have the secondary team in place for the final stage once we have Kallen-sama and the rest of the hostages are secure."

The control room acclimated to his orders with such ease that you would think they'd been working together for years, and not mere hours, and even that last report was seemingly directed more towards Lelouch than Naoto himself. Even Sancia and Minami were beginning to adjust to taking orders from their masked ally as if it were normal.

Naoto watched all the proceedings with a clinical, professional eye. Lelouch had things well in hand, enough so that Naoto felt comfortable letting him take the lead- despite his youth and somewhat worrying mental lapses towards what appeared to be a near suicidal zeal for forgiveness, the Brittanian prince was a born general.

Which made those lapses all the more troubling. Naoto was confident now in Lelouch's abilities, but not his mentality. As soon as possible, he resolved, he was going to peek in on Kallen at school, and see just for himself how the boy acted in his normal routine.

For now, of course, he was just going to have to put his trust in Lelouch's abilities, and of course, his sister's.

00000

"So what I'm really saying is, you need to have more confidence in your abilities, Kallen-chan!" Kaguya asserted, patting her on the shoulder, as their height difference made ruffling her hair more difficult, "This situation you're in is nothing. All you need is confidence- you have everything else you need already."

"… Kaguya, I really,_ really_ don't think now is the right time to talk about my engagement to Suzaku, much less how I should 'seduce him and steal his virtue', as you put it," Kallen said through a clenched jaw, trying to keep her voice low as she checked the corners, crouched behind a wall as she did her level best to utterly ignore Kaguya's words.

"But you two really have taken a long time with this. I mean, for all you know, that route has been closed off because you missed too many flags!" Kaguya insisted in a hushed voice. "You don't want to be that tragic unlucky childhood friend character now do you? That archetype is so tragic it's actually kind of lame!"

Kallen was thankfully cut off from replying as shouts began echoing down the corridor, and even Kaguya had the sense to stay silent for once.

There, marching down the corridor and into the main room, grim-faced and angry, were a dozen terrorists, all armed and looking very, very determined.

_Did they hear us,_ Kallen wondered, holding a breath.

The bullet that nearly took her head off and blew apart the wall right next to her cheek instead, causing Kallen to flinch back.

"Yeah, yeah they did," she muttered to herself, and held out her rifle. Despite the overwhelming advantage in numbers the enemy had, however, that same strange calmness settled over her, and she barked out quickly, "Kaguya-san, get back! Inoue, I need covering fire! Yoshida, watch the civilians!"

The others did as she bid, even as Kallen stuck her rifle around the corner, blind firing down the corridor to scare the enemy.

After the enemy fire slackened, Kallen poked her head out around the corner and took in the area with a glance.

They had reached another food court style area, with the center of the room dominated by a large, ornate fountain that was currently still. The enemy was taking up firing positions behind and around the fountain, using abandoned baggage carts and the tables of the area for cover. Kallen couldn't get a good estimate of how many there were with how quick her glance over the area had been, but there had to be at least half a dozen.

Half a dozen well trained killers against herself, Inoue, and Yoshida, who were babysitting well over ten times their number in basically dead weight.

Kallen wondered what deity she'd pissed off to earn this much karmic payback.

Kallen checked her ammunition. She was down to the remaining bullets in the clip she had in her rifle, and then a single remaining extra clip.

"Ammunition check!" she barked, hoping the others had saved up some of their weapons.

"Two clips!" Inoue responded.

"One!" Yoshida answered.

_And It Got Worse,_ Kallen thought cynically, rolling her eyes. _Onii-chan, I am going to haunt you forever if I die here for listening to that crazy bastard Rei._

"Save your ammo! Take shots only to kill or disable!" Kallen ordered, jaw clenched tight.

The team did as she bid, but as a result the enemy was allowed free reign, firing constantly at even the slightest bit of movement, keeping them pinned down.

Kallen stuck her head out again, and one of the terrorists hiding behind the fountain popped out and fired at her.

Kallen jerked her head to one side to avoid the bullet and rattled off a retort of her own with her rifle, but firing from the hip, no matter how cool, simply was not very accurate, and most of her bullets simply caused property damage. One lucky shot, however, hit the man's shoulder, and he went down with a scream and a spray of gory red that stained the white marble of the fountain.

"One down!" she called out, and ejected the clip, slamming home a new one- her last, as it was.

The others, however, now redoubled their efforts, firing without abandon on her position, preventing her from dealing any more damage. Inoue and Yoshida, without much ammunition, could only take pot-shots at the enemy, which barely gave them pause.

The situation was bad, and the status quo only meant it would only get worse.

_Change the situation,_ Toudou's voice rumbled in her mind. _When you cannot win as the world stands, alter the world. _

She flicked up a glance at the ceiling, and saw a chance. Aiming up at the ceiling, she fired off a short burst from her rifle, hoping to hit the high ceiling lights.

In doing so, however, she left herself out in the open, just for a moment- but that was all it took, and one of the terrorists got off a shot and Kallen's world exploded in pain as she fell wheezing to the floor in agony- her bulletproof vest had stopped the bullet, thankfully, however it still felt like getting hit by a sledgehammer.

As she rolled on the floor, Inoue noticed her situation and shouted out in alarm.

"Yoshida, covering fire!" she screamed, sprinting towards Kallen and helping her back up.

_We're not going to make it_, Kallen thought, and despair took root in her heart like a vicious cancer as she coughed violently, feeling the tangy iron taste of blood in her mouth.

"_Kallen-sama…"_

Picking herself up, still being held up by Inoue, Kallen emptied the last clip in her rifle at the fountain as a gesture of defiance, sending the enemy ducking back down, before pulling out her service pistol.

"_Kallen-sama, please respond."_

_Why am I hearing Alice's voice,_ Kallen wondered, as she fired off a shot from her pistol, even as her eyes blurred and darkness threatened.

"_Kallen-sama!" _

Suddenly, with a shock that sent the waves of pain and darkness receding from her consciousness, Kallen realized she wasn't imagining the voice- it was actually coming through her radio.

"Alice? What are you-"

"_I need your coordinates Kallen-sama. Preferably now,"_ Alice interrupted politely, though there was just enough of an arch in her tone to indicate sarcasm.

"Uh…" Kallen wracked her brain for the information, checking the area for landmarks. "Northwest lobby, sector… three-five-two."

"_Understood," _Alice said simply.

"Wait, what are you-" Kallen began, when a literally earthshaking roar and an explosion of violent noise sent all her thoughts scattering as a hail of glass and rubble was hurled about as the glass ceiling collapsed.

As the dust began to settle, Kallen looked up through the debris and gaped.

Standing there, in the shattered ruins of the marble fountain, amidst the dying groans and screams of the enemy, was a metal titan out of legend that descended from the skies as the renewal of hope.

"The _Amaterasu_," Inoue breathed behind her, and Kallen finally smiled.

00000

Despite the situation being so desperate, the instant Kallen stepped inside her Knightmare, laid her hands on those familiar controls (the interior was unusual for a Knightmare Frame, putting the pilot at a forward angle, akin to riding a motorcycle), and felt the _Amaterasu_ thrum to life with unrivaled power, she felt a sense of calm control descend over her nerves.

There were enemies to fight. That was all she needed to know. And she knew she would win, because she and the_ Amaterasu _were the best.

"_Kallen-sama?" _Alice's face appeared in a small window on her viewscreen, at the helm of the VTOL aircraft that had dropped her beloved war machine down to earth. "_You're humming that that theme music again over an open channel._"

Kallen had the grace to blush.

"Right. Let's get started," she said briskly, to cover up her embarrassment. "Inoue, keep the civilians behind me. Watch the rear and flanks- we're going to push on through to the entrance."

With a round of affirmations from her team, Kallen gritted her teeth and started to move forward, doing her level best to keep the _Amaterasu_ steady in the unstable ground. Her machine wasn't really designed for escort duty, but Kallen hoped quick reflexes and quicker aim would serve as adequate protection.

After a few moments, however, Kallen realized something was off- there were no more contacts on her motion trackers, apart from the civilians and the remnants of her team behind her. With the amount of commotion they had made, there should have been some kind of response from even a halfway decently trained opponent.

"Inoue, I'm not getting anything on the sensors. You seeing anything on the ground?" Kallen questioned quietly, keeping her eyes constantly scanning the monitor for anything unusual.

"_Nothing, Kallen-sama,"_ came the tense reply.

"Alice, did you see anything from the sky on the way in?" Kallen asked, switching channels.

"_Nothing," _Alice replied tonelessly, her eyes sweeping the controls. _"And I'm not seeing anything in the flyover either."_

"Wait, nothing? Not even a hint of movement? How is that possible? There are supposed to be terrorists swarming everywhere around here," Kallen commented, eyes widening in realization. "Where did they all go?"

"_It might be best just to take good fortune as good fortune, Kallen-sama,"_ Inoue advised quietly, rejoining the conversation._ "The enemy might be changing plans, or focusing their efforts on dealing with_ Jinchuu. _Right now what's most important is getting the remaining civilians as far away from this area as possible." _

"I guess you're right," Kallen admitted reluctantly, and started moving again when a sudden shriek came over the radio, startling her.

"What the hell was that?" Kallen demanded, bristling, scanning all her sensors, certain a fight was about to break out again.

It took Inoue a few more moments to respond.

"_Sorry, there's a woman here…" _she trailed off, obviously moving away from her mouthpiece to speak with the woman in question, _"She says she lost her daughter. We're trying to calm her down and get her to explain where she last saw her…"_

There was a sudden shout, an audible jostling, and then a new voice entered the channel. _"Kallen-sama!" _a woman's voice, obviously the mother, pleaded. _"Please, help me! My daughter- I lost her during the confusion! Please, you have to go back for her!" _

Kallen stood stock still. Earlier, she had broken all protocol and training and risked her life for one little girl. And it felt right. She couldn't walk away from this call for help now either...

"_Kallen-sama," _Alice broke in, face reappearing on the monitor, having still been on the channel. _"You cannot risk the lives of scores of people for one life. Including the princess's own. You are to have Kaguya-sama brought back as soon as possible, and under your direct guard."_

"But…" Kallen began, but her blonde ward gave her a stern look.

"_These are not just Naoto-sama's orders,"_ Alice interrupted, _"We received this directive from the Imperial Council, exerting the direct will of the Emperor. You know what this means, don't you?" _

Kallen bristled with defiance as Alice spoke, but her anger deflated as she heard the words, and spoke the lines that were ingrained into her core, as both a Sword of the Emperor and as a citizen of the Japanese Empire.

"The Emperor's will is the will of heaven, the will of the gods," she repeated softly.

"_You cannot defy this,"_ Alice finished.

"Fine," Kallen said grudgingly, nodding her head. "Understood."

00000

Suzaku panted, feeling every breath coming hard as his exhausted body tried to regain some stamina, still clutching at the control yokes of the _Caliburn_. He had finally managed to shake off his pursuers after leading them on a merry chase away from Kallen and the civilians, and just in time too, as he had been hard pressed just to keep himself defended against their numbers and raw ability.

"What the hell are those guys," he mumbled under his breath, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow.

It wasn't like they were as naturally skilled and experienced as Kallen, or that their machines were even close to the technological superiority of the _Caliburn_, but they had a way of moving and reacting that was… inhuman. It wasn't skillful or well-coordinated attacks that had pressured him so far, but sheer relentless assault, like being attacked by a mindless beast.

"Alright, enough," Suzaku muttered, shaking his head. "Now, I need to-"

A blip on the sensors caught his attention mid-sentence, and he blinked, shifting the _Caliburn_ around until he found the source.

Cowering underneath one of the waiting area benches, dressed in a slightly torn and dirtied dress, was a dark haired little girl, maybe six or seven years old.

"What the hell is she doing here?" he mumbled, feeling a mixture of bewilderment and concern.

He leaned the Knightmare forward, extending the _Caliburn_'s hand out tentatively.

"I won't hurt you," he said quietly, soothingly, but the girl only cowered away. Not a surprise, not with both the reputation he was receiving in the media lately and the simple fact that he was inside a gigantic machine reaching out a hand bigger than the child's own body out to a frightened little girl.

"Please, I promise, I'm not going to hurt you," Suzaku repeated quietly, keeping his voice soothingly level.

The girl looked up, still quivering, unmoving, but not running away either.

"Just climb up. I promise, nothing will hurt you," he swore again, and finally, ever so slowly, the girl put out a shaking hand, resting it on the extended 'finger' of the Knightmare's hand.

"There we go," Suzaku murmured, smiling slightly. "Now let's just get you back home, safe and sound-"

As if in answer, a Sidhe Knightmare whirled around the corner, gun raised.

_One of these days I'm going to learn to shut my damn mouth, _Suzaku thought wearily, as he scooped up the girl with both of the _Caliburn_'s hands, spinning around to use the back of the machine as a shield for the girl- just in time too, as the Sidhe opened fire, the spray of bullets slamming into the Knightmare with considerable force.

The girl whimpered audibly, and Suzaku glanced down at her.

"Don't worry," he promised, "I'm going to get you out of here."

00000

"There, see, Kaguya-sama is here, just as ordered, no trouble at all," Kallen announced, as they pulled into the military perimeter, while the waiting soldiers encircled the civilians, giving them blankets and warm drinks as they moved them away from the airport.

_"Yeah, I can see that,"_ Naoto replied over the radio, though his tone was hardly celebratory._ "I can also see you're not happy about the order. But there's nothing you can do about it."_

"True," Kallen agreed, turning the _Amaterasu_ right back around. "There was nothing I could do about it."

"_Yeah, nothing you could have done,"_ Naoto agreed, breathing a short sigh of relief-_"Wait, Kallen, where are you going?"_

"Back to rescue that girl, of course," Kallen replied simply, already halfway back towards the airport, now that she didn't have to pace herself to keep guard over a bunch of civilians.

_ "You have your orders-"_

"Which I fulfilled," Kallen answered matter-of-factly, smirking. "Now I'm going to do what I want to do."

_"Kallen!"_ Naoto sputtered, face flashing on her viewscreen. _"I am giving you a direct order-"_

"Which I don't have to follow, since technically, only the Emperor can give me orders," Kallen interrupted. "Sorry Onii-chan, I've gotta go."

And with that and a final, incomprehensible shout from her brother, Kallen was gone.

00000

"Damn her!" Naoto swore, slamming his palms down on the metal console. "I want _Taiyou_-One prepped and ready to go after her in two minutes!"

His rage cooled immediately as a gloved hand settled on his shoulder, and he turned back to see the mirrored surface of Lelouch's mask.

"Belay that," Lelouch barked, squeezing Naoto's shoulder as he spoke to calm him, "Kallen-sama is right in that we have no jurisdiction over her. Our top priority right now is the final phase of the operation, and securing the safety of the civilians. Are the capture teams in place, Lieutenant?"

Sancia, who had been watching the exchange, blinked once, before responding without a hitch, "Yes. With the instructions you gave, we should have the final phase in motion within half an hour."

"Just under the amount of time estimated left on the explosive device," Lelouch murmured, sounding satisfied. "Continue then. The Commander and I should speak privately."

Lelouch took him aside, out into the hallway, where Naoto stayed silent until the doors were fully shut.

"Thank you," he managed quietly, roughly, "For keeping me under control. I just…"

"I understand," Lelouch interrupted, inclining his head. "But we're in the final stages right now. You need to keep your head at this moment, or the others will lose focus as well."

"But Kallen-" Naoto began, but the younger man waved his hand.

"I can watch over Kallen-sama while you direct the last stages of the operation," Lelouch assured him. "Just leave her to me."

Naoto stared at him for a few moments, obviously reluctant, before he finally nodded, turning away.

"I'll trust you," he muttered. "Just keep her safe, please."

00000

"Kiss her, you idiot! Don't just gawk, make a move!" Milly urged in vain, for the characters inked onto the pages of the manga she was reading could not readily follow her commands. "Argh, at this rate it'll end up like Takahashi-sensei's work, only with alien princesses instead of martial artists…"

Her complaints were interrupted as a voice came on over the radio installed in the truck, urgent and desperate.

"_Milly! Milly, are you there!" _

Milly pulled her feet off of the dashboard as she pulled the small two-way radio that was hooked up to the truck to her mouth, setting the manga down on the dashboard as she did so. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here Suzaku-sama. I take it you're still being chased then?"

An audible shudder came through the channel, followed by the sound of gunfire.

"_What do you think?"_ Suzaku asked sarcastically.

"Well there's no need to get snippy with your mission control, is there?" Milly quipped, rolling her eyes. "What do you need, Suzaku-sama?"

"_Some kind of schematic of this place would be nice," _he replied.

"Yes, well, we don't have that on hand. I maybe be your hyper-competent sidekick, but even my skills have limits," Milly responded sweetly. "Are you trying to lose the enemy?"

"_Situation's changed Milly," _Suzaku answered, his voice terse. _"I found a kid. Just a little girl who got separated from the other hostages- I can't keep her safe and get rid of these guys anymore."_

"A girl?" Milly blinked. "What is… and you decided to take care of an helpless civilian in the middle of a battlefield?"

"_Would you have done any different?"_ Suzaku challenged defensively, growling.

"Well I certainly wouldn't abandon a little girl, the fact is…" Milly trailed off, cocking her head to one side as she heard a faint murmuring in the background that was definitely not coming from the radio.

_"Milly?" _

Milly shook her head. "It's nothing, Radio battery's running low, so I'm going to go grab some new ones. Talk to you in a bit."

Without waiting for a reply, she shut off the radio, not feeling the least bit sorry for the little lie she'd just told Suzaku as she put the radio inside a pocket of her maid's dress. Calmly, with an unhurried grace, she opened the glove compartment and reached inside a large brown envelope, pulling forth a slim pistol from its depths.

Ever so slowly, she opened the door of the truck, walked around to the back, and opened the door, pistol raised and her finger resting lightly on the trigger.

"You should come out now," Milly instructed, for once her tone devoid of its jocular nature, "I'll be nice and give you three seconds instead of just shooting right now. Three."

There was an unmistakable squeak of surprise in the back, and Milly shifted her aim slightly towards it.

"Two."

Her fingers tensed, as the crates shifted, though no actual noise was made by the person behind them.

"One."

"P-p-please don't shoot."

All at once, the calm, icily polite mask fell like a sudden autumn rain, and Milly was left blinking and wide eyed like a newborn calf.

"I didn't mean any harm," Euphemia continued quickly, bowing her head as her fingers trembled from their position in the air, the universal sign of surrender as she crept out from the darkness, "Honest."

"Bloody hell Euphie," Milly swore uncharacteristically, lowering the gun with a look of weary dismay, "I might have shot you. What are you doing here? No, wait, don't answer that, I already know- you wanted to learn more about your past and, more importantly, what Suzaku-sama has been doing at night."

Euphemia had the grace to blush. "I really am sorry."

"No sense in crying over spilled milk, I suppose," Milly shrugged, tucking the gun absently into the waistband of her maid outfit as she clambered on inside the truck. "Next time, make less noise when you're eavesdropping."

"I-I'll try," Euphemia joked weakly, as she did as Milly bid. "So this this is what you and Suzaku-sama have been doing for the past few weeks?"

"Yeah," Milly acknowledged, inclining her head slightly as she rolled her eyes. "I swear, Suzaku-sama is taking this hero thing a bit far though. He's about one pathos-ridden tragedy away from having me sew him a costume and going prancing around rooftops at night in his underpants."

Euphemia giggled a little at that, and opened her mouth to reply when her eyes went blank and dark as a moonless night. "

Milly stared blankly. "What the-"

Euphemia spoke mechanically, tonelessly, as though someone else had taken hold of her body and was using her mouth to speak utterly foreign words.

"Warning, Homunculus Drive bio-synchronous link falling rapidly to twenty percent, indicating danger of breaching minimal control threshold. Armor integrity beginning to falter at structural points A8 through C2. Recommending activation of Faust Protocol in order to- NO!" Euphemia finally shrieked, jerking her head sideways, clutching at it as though pained, and Milly was finally shaken from her shock.

Quickly, Milly took hold of Euphemia, holding her tightly as the girl thrashed in her arms with surprising strength, clutching her head as tears ran freely down her face.

"M-Milly-san… what's happening to me?" she whispered sobbingly. "I can't… these words… it's like I'm not even myself… but I can see it… Suzaku-sama… he's in trouble…"

00000

The metal walls around him shuddered from the impact as the roaring sound of the high-caliber submachine guns hitting the back of the Knightmare filled his ears.

The _Caliburn_ bobbed side to side to avoid taking any more fire, though Suzaku was careful to avoid crashing into the sides of the lobby wall, lest the girl in his hands fall. He whirled the corner, but a second Sidhe cut him off, raising its rifle, forcing him to turn its shoulder and barrel on through, using the side of the machine in case the enemy fired off a few rounds.

He knocked the enemy Knightmare down, slamming it into a support pillar and crumpling it, and continued on through the lobby, but without any real sense of direction or knowledge of where he could go to get the girl out of the danger zone.

"How long does it take Milly to get new batteries," Suzaku grumbled irritably, gunning the engine harder, still hoping he could shake off his pursuers-

When the wall directly to the right of him shattered, and a _third_ Sidhe barreled towards him, spear upraised, moving at an angle so as to cut him off from pushing forward. The blips on his motion tracker indicated the others were in hot pursuit behind him.

"Oh crap," Suzaku managed, before narrowly twisting out of the way, the girl in his hands screaming in terror at the violent and sudden movement.

Now he was caught- fleeing simply wasn't an option, not against their superior numbers and obvious familiarity with the layout of the complex. But if he tried to fight, he'd have to drop the girl- not an option either.

"I'm sorry," Suzaku whispered apologetically, shutting his eyes as he tried one last desperate gambit, charging right at the Sidhe in front of him-

Which was knocked away with a flash of white-hot light, and the Sidhe Knightmare fell back, one arm a half-melted mess, spinning away and crashing right next to where it had burst on through earlier.

And standing off to the side, arm still smoking from the energy pulse claw, was the _Amaterasu_.

00000

Kallen stared across the viewscreen at the enemy that had put her out of commission only a few weeks ago, an enemy she had been sent here to destroy- and hesitated.

_He was protecting the girl,_ she noted, not lowering the Knightmare's arm or removing her hands from the control yokes. _He could just as easily have left her behind, taken these men out- but he didn't._

Damn it, why did the enemy have to be so human?

Her irritation was forced aside as the other enemies rounded the corner, weapons raised, and she vaulted forward, shouting into the external speakers, "Stay behind me!"

_Jinchuu _moved in formation behind her in a manner that seemed eerily natural, as though he was familiar with her movements, though she had no real time to consider it further as the enemy closed the distance between them.

Kallen ducked the initial lance thrust from the first Sidhe, and when that one stepped aside and allowed its partner to slash at her, she parried the blow, and then activated the flare blast in her chest to blind her opponents-

Only to be knocked back as the third Sidhe (the one she attacked originally) came at her from the side, slamming into her, sending her careening away, the flash blasting harmlessly only against a wall.

Disoriented, Kallen barely had time to get her balance back when the enemy pressed their attack again, slashing and stabbing at her in vicious but uncoordinated attacks, pressuring her backwards with startling efficiency.

The recharge time on the flash was around a minute, meaning that one of her primary weapons in close combat was gone for the moment, and the sheer weight of their numbers was pushing her back.

_ "Kallen-sama, I suggest you retreat to a more favorable environment." _

_ Yeah, I should retreat_, she agreed silently, and opened her mouth to acknowledge the suggestion when she realized who was speaking to her.

"Rei?" Kallen blinked. "Shouldn't you be heading up the operation?"

_ "Your brother is handling that," _Rei replied smoothly from a small square box appearing on her viewscreen labeled "Audio Only",_ "I'm tasked with ensuring you stay alive. And right now, you had best move back, and then lash out with your left leg."_

Kallen reflexively pulled back on command, just in time to avoid a powerful slash from the Sidhe's lance. Her leg strike knocked the opponent down, but before she could follow up, the second Sidhe had moved in to pick up the slack.

_"Parry, dodge, and then feint. There will be an opportunity_," he instructed.

"Don't order me around!" Kallen all but snarled, though she did as she was bid. Just as Rei predicted, the Sidhe followed her feint too far, and she struck out, slashing with glowing claws, and only an incredibly swift reaction from the enemy Knightmare saved it from being eviscerated into more manageable bits, though she still shredded the enemy's lance weapon, rendering it useless.

_"They're quick,"_ Rei observed dispassionately, his voice laced with a thoughtful hum.

"Are you just going to compliment them or are you going to help?" Kallen shot back irritably.

"_We're losing too much time. There's still a highly explosive device in the complex, and we still need to retrieve the girl from_ Jinchuu," he replied contemplatively. _"We're not going to end this battle through traditional means. Shift to the right and fire a high-yield energy blast at the enemy, angled upwards."_

"They'll dodge it-" Kallen began to protest, but was cut off.

_ "Please, just trust me, Kallen-sama. Just this once."_

Kallen frowned, but followed through, dodging to the right and slamming the _Amaterasu_'s hands together, unleashing a fierce wave of red-black energy at the oncoming enemy.

They dodged it, just as she said-

And the blast instead struck the support pillar behind them, the one that had already been damaged heavily by _Jinchuu_ slamming one of them into it earlier. The blast cut through the top section of the pillar, and as a result a huge chunk of solid marble stone came crashing down towards the enemy Knightmares.

By the time the dust cleared, the _Amaterasu_ and _Jinchuu _were gone.

00000

"Huh, looks they escaped," Luciano noted, tapping the laptop computer's keyboard thoughtfully with his index finger.

They were inside the belly of a large, military VTOL aircraft, with Luciano perched in the co-pilot's chair, the laptop propped up on the control console.

"They were running out of time," Marika noted, sitting across from him in the pilot's chair, hands firmly on the wheel. "And so are we, my lord. Shall we issue the recall order?"

Luciano bit his lip thoughtfully, though there was a hint of a grin in his expression.

"I suppose we might as well. I was expecting to use up these assets, but I guess our budget could use a few spares. I'll have the auto-pilot systems take over and bring them to us," he murmured, tapping the keyboard and issuing the electronic orders as he spoke. "Are we synchronized to leave within the last three minutes of the bomb's timer?"

"Yes sir," Marika reported, checking her watch. As she did so, the movement caught Luciano's eye, and he grinned a little wider.

"You know, I've never asked you about that watch. You never take it off," he observed, raising an eyebrow. "Something special about it?"

"It was a gift," she answered succinctly. "From my brother."

"Brother, huh?" Luciano tapped a finger against his cheek as he gazed at her out of the corner of his eye. "The one you haven't seen since the invasion?"

Marika's fingers tightened over the wheel, and she nodded stiffly.

Luciano glanced at her a moment longer, then shrugged and leaned back into his chair after he shut the laptop and put it aside, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Well, we're only just getting started. Who knows, maybe you'll see him around."

"Maybe," Marika said noncommittally.

00000

"I think we're safe now," Kallen said breathlessly, though she left her hands on the control yokes of the _Amaterasu_.

_ "Good. Now for our other problem…"_ Rei murmured, drawing Kallen's attention toward the golden Knightmare that stood only a few meters away, still clutching that little girl in his arms.

_"Jinchuu,"_ Kallen began, opening up the external speakers, "Hand the girl over."

Wordlessly, the golden Knightmare frame leaned down and ever so gently placed the girl back down on the ground.

"Now back away," Kallen ordered sternly, as she reached over to take the girl into the _Amaterasu_'s hands.

Again, the terrorist did as she ordered, surprisingly enough without protest, and Kallen, keeping an eye on him the entire time, opened up the cockpit hatch of her Knightmare to deposit the girl inside. There wasn't much room, but it was far safer than holding her outside of the machine.

_"Good. Now, tell him there are more hostages inside,"_ Rei said quietly.

Kallen blinked. "But there aren't any."

_ "He doesn't know that,"_ the masked man replied simply.

"You think you can trap him here with the bomb," she realized, eyes widening with the revelation.

_"He went out of his way and risked death for one little girl. We can use this opportunity,"_ Rei replied ruthlessly, his voice cold. "_This man is too dangerous to leave alive. We have a chance to end his threat right here, Kallen-sama."_

Kallen said nothing, and the little girl in the back clambered over to her, clutching at her with a sob.

_This girl would be dead if not for him,_ Kallen thought soberly, as she patted the girl on the head comfortingly. _Hell,_ I _would dead if not for him either._

"Sorry, I'm losing you command. Didn't catch that last part. I need to reset the signal on my transponder," Kallen said suddenly. "I'll report back in person in a few minutes."

_ "Wait, Kallen-sama, what are you-"_

She cut the channel before he could finish, grinning slightly at having utterly ignored Rei's orders.

"Listen," she said out loud, "I'm only doing this because I don't want to owe you anything the next time we fight. There's a bomb in the airport, and you need to get as far away from here as you can. Got it?"

For a few moments, _Jinchuu_ did nothing, and then finally, made an awkward, mechanical bow of respect, and headed off in another direction.

Kallen watched the terrorist go for a second, wondering if she had done the right thing. But a favor owed to an enemy was still a favor owed, and Kallen was the kind of person to pay back her debts.

"Next time," she muttered, and turned away.

00000

"Damn it!" Lelouch swore, slamming his palm down on the console as he ripped off the headset he had been using to communicate with Kallen (it had been their largest pair, so it could fit snugly around the helmet he wore).

"What's wrong?" Naoto asked concernedly, looking up from his own console. "Is Kallen alright?"

"No, it's nothing like that. She's fine and heading back now with the girl," Lelouch answered smoothly, shaking his head.

_Unless you count mental instability on account of letting a known terrorist walk free as a kind of harm_, Lelouch added darkly in his head.

"Well, then you're going to want to see this. The last phase of the operation is all in place," Naoto said, grinning. "And man, I can't wait to see the look on this guy's face."

00000

"The airport was just a setback," Clovis growled, gloved hands folded tightly over each other, as the private car he had stashed away in the parking garage pulled well out of sight of the airport. With most of his people dead or under Luciano's pay, only a few loyal household retainers had been taken with him in the car- the only ones he felt he could still trust.

_ Thank God for that anonymous benefactor,_ Clovis thought in relief. If not for that man's instructions on how to slip past the military perimeter, he would not have been able to escape as it was.

He had been skeptical at first, but once his men confirmed a bomb at the storage locker Clovis knew he had been betrayed and left, hoping the man on radio was on the level.

"The rendezvous point is just up ahead, at that street corner," Clovis instructed his driver. "Our benefactor said he would have extraction arrangements made when we arrived."

As they pulled up to the street corner, several things happened at once.

First, sniper fire from the building across the street blew out one of the tires, sending the car careening into the sidewalk as the driver lost control.

Second, two police cars burst out from around the corner on both sides of the car, sirens wailing, encircling the car and ensuring no vehicular escape was possible.

Lastly, half a dozen uniformed soldiers erupted from the building, guns raised as they shouted orders for the occupants of the car to exit peacefully.

Clovis looked around, bewildered, and his face remained stricken as the soldiers slapped on a pair of handcuffs on his wrists and led him away into military custody.

00000

"Nice work," Naoto commented, chuckling as he watched the video feed of Prince Clovis being hauled off by the authorities.

"Several of your men are dead, the real culprits have likely escaped, and I just blew up a facility worth several million yen without killing the terrorist I was trying to entrap," Lelouch deadpanned flatly, sounding not the least bit exhilarated by the achievement on the video feed. "I wouldn't call this 'nice work'."

Naoto shook his head with a grin, and took him aside, wrapping an arm around his shoulders so he could pull the younger man in close to talk softly.

"Look, yeah, all that's true… but it's also true that we saved every single civilian in that airport today. No casualties. Do you know how many battles I've fought like this, and still lost someone?" he asked, staring directly at Lelouch, who stayed silent. "My men would gladly lay down their lives for a win like this every day. And you made this possible."

"You and your men did the work. Hell, Kallen-sama went back inside just to save one little girl. I just…" Lelouch began, but was interrupted.

"You saved a lot of people, Lelouch," Naoto whispered, smiling warmly. "And that's worth something, isn't it?"

After a few moments, under the mask, the barest makings of a smile tugged on Lelouch's face, and he nodded.

"I guess it is."

Naoto grinned at that. "Good. And besides, the battle's over, but we've got a long war left to fight."

"We?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow.

"You offered, and I'm accepting. We're gonna need you kid," Naoto muttered, pulling away. "Things are going to get messy from here on out, and I sure as hell want someone like you at my back when it does go south."

Lelouch smiled a little wider, and held out a hand. "I'd like that."

Behind them both, the morning sun began to peek over the horizon, at the dawn of a brand new day.

Author's Notes

Sorry about that 4 month wait guys- around August this was almost ready to post, and then I ended up starting a job and then getting so swamped I couldn't get the energy to finish this. But here it is!

Also, I went back through and made a few changes to previous chapters, inserting scenes that, for some stupid reason, I had written down and failed to add. No huge plot changes, just some added content in Chapter 5.

Okay, this stupid airport arc is finally over, meaning this is the end of the "introduction" phase of the story. Now the real fun begins- next chapter we get Kaguya back in the reigns as President of the Student Council, plus plenty of nice plot related material.


	12. Chapter 11: What Are Friends For

_We're strange allies with warring hearts  
What a wild-eyed beast you'll be  
The space between the wicked lies we tell  
And hope to keep safe from the pain_

"The Space Between", Dave Matthews Band

Chapter 11

What Are Friends For

_Terrorist Attack On Kojiki Airport Foiled_

_by Kazumi Asakura_

_It's hard to believe that such a short time ago that the Kojiki airport in London was seized by a group of dangerous Brittanian terrorists led by former Prince Clovis La Brittania, taking hundreds of our Empire's citizens hostages in a cowardly attempt to force our leaders to meet their demands._

_The group was heavily armed and well prepared- but not prepared enough, as in a daring raid, Japanese forces led by Commander Kouzuki Naoto and his sister, Seventh Sword Kouzuki Kallen, brought a swift end to the terror in a stunning display of stratagem and cunning. The Kouzuki siblings have once again proved themselves to be the shining hope for the future of the Empire, and this reporter feels all the safer knowing that the Kouzuki's may one day be tied to the Chrysanthemum Throne, securing the generations to come. _

_A more detailed article profiling Clovis La Brittania can be found on Page 3A…_

00000

"That idiot brother of mine," Cornelia scowled, setting down the newspaper with an irritated expression. The article had told her little more than what her own sources could gather.

She flicked a glance across the table, where Gino Weinberg sat, absently munching on a pastry from the breakfast plate that had been set for them, and his liege man Kewell Sorsei stood behind him, looking vastly more uncomfortable than his leader.

They were currently in her dining room, having convened for a meal and meeting all in one. The walls were Spartan, as befitting her tastes, and the table's rich mahogany wood was the only real décor to be found at all in the room.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have let personal matters get in the way of this meeting, especially after calling you two all the way out here," Cornelia said politely, offering them an apologetic smile. "Thank you for coming."

"No problem! Thank you for sending the private plane!" Gino said cheerfully, though Kewell still seemed awkward. "I can't believe I'm really here, at the Bastion."

Cornelia snorted lightly. "I still don't care much for the nickname, but I suppose there's no helping that now."

The Bastion, as it was known, was the de-facto headquarters of the Brittanian Liberation front, but despite its name being known throughout the organization, its location was unknown to all but the highest echelons of the BLF command structure.

It was, as Gino and Kewell had discovered on their otherwise uneventful plane ride, directly beneath Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, which sat upon an extinct volcano- the tunnels and areas beneath the fortress had apparently been hollowed out and converted into a massive, sprawling military complex.

"There's way more people here than I thought- I mean, how do you keep all of this a secret?" Gino questioned, grabbing a grape off of a bowl and popping it into his mouth thoughtfully. "You would think someone would let slip this operation you've got going, even if Scotland is one of the least controlled areas in Brittania."

"The entire complex is garrisoned by the members of my original regiment, the Third Imperial," Cornelia answered, grabbing a pastry for herself as well- strawberry, her own guilty little pleasure. "They retreated into hiding with me at the very start of the Japanese occupation, and have remained with me ever since. And this base… the Bastion… it was one of several fallback points we had established a long time ago- I simply had some agents erase knowledge of its existence from the records before the Japanese fully took over the country."

Gino whistled appreciatively. "That is impressive. Hey Kewell, sit down already, man. Have a grape, you're making me nervous."

"I ate on the plane, sir, as did you," Kewell reminded him politely, but firmly. "I'm more interested in learning about the Bastion. If I may be so forward, Commander… you and your regiment were already in Scotland at the time of the invasion, correct? Why did you not strike out? Surely the army would have rallied behind you, and using this place as a headquarters for a military uprising rather than an insurrectionist movement…"

He trailed off, looking embarrassed. "I apologize. I'm being presumptuous."

"No, don't apologize- I understand your concern, Lord Kewell." Cornelia waved her hand dismissively. "I would have, trust me- but at that time, my brothers… Schneizel and Odysseus, they wanted only peace after my father's death, and I could not resist their movement to peace openly. And after the Bloody Sunday incident, I'd have to say I'm rather glad I did not try."

Kewell coughed, and even Gino winced at the mention of that event.

"In any event, I brought you two to the Bastion to start working more closely with my staff here," Cornelia continued on briskly, returning them to the matters at hand. "With so much action in London, I feel that our presence there must increase- after you two work with the members of my command staff, I want you two to select those who you think will be able to help you train new recruits. Naturally Darlton will go with you, but I wanted you to be able to select the ones you work with."

Gino nodded along, his expression bored as he crossed his arms behind his head. "Thanks for that, I guess, though I'm pretty good right now working with Nonette, Claudio, and Dorothea."

"Naturally I don't want to undermine your current situation," Cornelia agreed. "But again, this incident with the airport, alongside this _Jinchuu_ character… we need to present a stronger influence on London to ensure our goals are met. And to make sure of that, I will also be returning with you to London when you return, to conduct an operation."

Kewell and Gino both raised their eyebrows at that.

"Oh, don't give me that look you two," Cornelia muttered, rolling her eyes. "I've gotten enough from Guilford about how dangerous it could be. But my brother is being held by Japan- I can't leave him there. And besides… I also have something to bring for that girl of yours, Shirley. I originally wanted her to come here, but our circumstances have changed."

"For Shirley?" Gino questioned, raising an eyebrow. "It wouldn't happen to be that… that _thing_ I saw on the way in here right? Because I am jealous already if it is."

Cornelia smiled wolfishly and said nothing else in answer.

00000

"You've implemented none of the directives I left you with! I told you specifically that I wanted these underway when I got back!"

Lelouch opened his mouth to defend himself, but his verbal assailant left him no openings.

"What happened to the mandatory 'Casual Fridays'? Or the 'Bring Your Pet To School Day' I wanted to schedule?" Kaguya demanded, slamming her hand down on the table authoritatively. "And another thing, where's the new recreation room I designed? I wanted to jump into that plastic ball pit the minute I landed in Brittania, Mr. Vice President!"

"First of all, I don't remember anything about 'casual Fridays'," Lelouch said defensively, crossing his arms with a frown as he leaned into his chair. "And 'Bring Your Pet To School Day' was banned by the PTA after one girl got bitten by a snake that got loose last year."

"It wasn't poisonous," Kaguya said dismissively, waving her hand.

"She was terrified!" Lelouch all but shrieked, remembering how, for some reason, it had been HIM who had taken the blame for that incident and had an angry father following him around for a week making threatening gestures.

In the opposite corner of the room, C.C. chuckled, idly flipping through another one of her magazines with vague disinterest (the title, emblazoned in bold black, read, _Arthur Camlann Appointed as Eurasian Secretary of the Interior)._

"Well what about the recreation room?" Kaguya questioned, frowning as she placed her hands on her hips with disapproval. "That certainly wasn't banned by the PTA."

"There's no room in the school for a six story fun house!" Lelouch refuted, raising an eyebrow. "And no money in our budget for something like that! Especially the hundred meter television screen you wanted installed!"

"You just didn't look hard enough," C.C. commented idly, without looking up, and Lelouch gave her the dirtiest of looks in silent outrage.

"You know, it's times like these I wonder why I ever thought to give you the honored post of Vice-President. I'll have you know there are dozens of candidates who could take your job in an instant, Lelouch Lamperouge!" Kaguya insisted, planting one fist on her hip while wagging her other hand's index finger at him disapprovingly. "You'd better shape up mister!"

There was slight cough, and all eyes in the room turned towards Kallen, sitting next to Lelouch, who looked oddly nervous as she squirmed in one of the free Student Council chairs. "I uh… should I come back after the meeting?"

"No need, Kallen-chan," Kaguya insisted, waving her hand dismissively again. "Lelouch-kun here is just being a grump."

"Someone here has to be the sane one," Lelouch muttered under his breath.

Kaguya pretended not to hear him, nose high in an air of disdain as she sniffed.

"Well, anyways, Kallen-chan, I appointed you to the post of General Affairs Manager of the Student Council," she declared, smiling proudly at the redhead. "Welcome aboard."

Kallen, rather than looking honored, as Kaguya's expression seemed to expect, looked merely flabbergasted. "K-Kaguya, I mean… I'm flattered and all, but I don't think I have the time-"

"Oh it's exactly the opposite," Kaguya interrupted, smiling widely. "The Sumeragi Academy encourages a well rounded student life- being part of the Student Council is a requirement to your being at the Academy, Kallen-chan. I should have made that clear on the phone the first time."

"But-" Kallen began, but her eyes met that of Lelouch's, who shook his head slowly, just once.

"It's best just to agree with her," Lelouch murmured, so only she could hear. "Besides, you're not expected to do much as part of this council. Just think of it as the president's way of asking you to spend more time with her."

Kallen felt a bit of relief at his words. Being part of the council did sound kind of like fun anyways, and she'd never had a chance to be part of any kind of club before…

"Unless you think you're not up for it," he added, almost as an afterthought, a hint of a grin on his face, and she shot him a glare.

"I'm up for it," she whispered snappishly, before smiling up at Kaguya. "Well, if you insist…"

"Perfect!" Kaguya said happily, clapping her hands together delightedly. "I'll give you a copy of the Student Council rulebook to look over later- feel free to ask Lelouch-kun any questions."

Kallen blinked._ Normally, aren't you supposed to say ask_ YOU _any questions?_

Lelouch didn't even seemed fazed that the responsibility had been foisted onto him, merely sighing with a long-suffering look. He really hated that rulebook.

"Well then, on to my next order of business," Kaguya said briskly. "We're going to have a Halloween Ball!"

There were a few moments of expectant silence.

"A what?" Kallen blinked.

"Why?" Lelouch asked, knowing that question was more pertinent.

"Because A, formal balls are fun, B, I just got back from a long trip and we need to have a party to celebrate, C, because I said so, and D, because formal balls are FUN!" Kaguya said cheerily, her grin so wide and maniacal that Lelouch absently shivered in terror at the sight.

"Okay… well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem," Lelouch managed, coughing slightly to cover up the fear in his voice at her expression. "I did save up a good portion of our budget expecting you to want a party of some kind, after all."

"Good. Now, there are a few rules to this. First and foremost, from what I've read about this… Halloween," Kaguya said, stumbling over the foreign and unfamiliar word, "You dress up in costumes. So all people are supposed to dress up as something… interesting. I don't know, Infopedia wasn't very clear."

"It's similar to cosplay," C.C. informed her simply, still looking through the magazine.

"Ah! Okay, that makes much more sense," Kaguya said agreeably, smiling. "Thank you, C.C.-chan!"

"Always happy to help," C.C. said simply.

"So, everyone will cosplay when they come to this event- which has a mandatory attendance policy, by the way- and also, they need to bring a date!" Kaguya finished, clapping her hands with a smile.

To those around her, the clap sounded like a death knell.

"A… a date?" Lelouch stammered.

"A DATE?" Kallen shouted, cheeks flushing.

C.C. said nothing, though she raised a single eyebrow ever so slowly.

Kaguya looked over at Kallen and beamed.

"Oh, don't worry about finding a date, Kallen-chan! My dear cousin will be taking you, have no worries. It's his duty as your arranged marriage partner! I've already begun making arrangements." She winked at Kallen, her smile only increasing the horror in Kallen's own expression. "You two will be the star couple of the evening!"

Kallen sank into the chair with a mortified expression.

As for Lelouch, he was already wondering if he could somehow convince Naoto to organize a sortie for their forces- and knowing even a life or death battle wouldn't keep Kaguya from dragging him kicking and screaming into attending the ball.

00000

_Halloween Ball!_

_ By order of the Student Council, and her magnificence Kaguya-sama, we hereby declare that there be a celebration in honor of our beneficent student body president returning to our school, on the date of October 31__st__, known locally as All Hallows Eve, Samhain, or, most recently, Halloween. _

_ Come in costume, as a werewolf, a witch, a vampire, or anything else! _

_ P.S. One night only, mandatory attendance, on pain of school punishments 36-50 in the Student Code of Conduct (punishments may vary based on gender, age, and tolerance to various flavors of yogurt)_

"A Halloween party, huh?" Shirley scoffed, crumpling the flyer with a dark look upon her face.

"What's up with you?" Rivalz asked, blinking in confusion as he glanced over at her. "You don't like Halloween?"

"It's not about Halloween!" she all but snarled, growling in anger as she whirled upon him with a furious expression.

Rivalz backed away immediately raising his hands unconsciously (though futilely, he knew) to defend himself as he did so. "Okay… then what it is about?"

"It's all just one big lie," Shirley snapped, her voice laced with furious venom, "Here, in these walls, we pretend to like each other. We pretend that Japan didn't conquer us, that we can live our lives like they were before. But that's not real. It's just a fantasy."

"Maybe people like the lie?" Rivalz questioned, shaking his head. "I think it's nice to pretend things are better than they are, even only for a moment."

"No one's been allowed to celebrate something like Halloween, or Guy Fawkes, or even Christmas, since the invasion- and yet here this spoilt princess thinks she can 'give' us our cultural heritage back?" Shirley hissed, fists clenching in a quiet rage. "It's… it's not right! It mocks everything we fight for!"

Rivalz glanced around warily, grateful the hallway was deserted, but still wondering how they hadn't blown their cover yet with Shirley's constant raging at these cultural injustices.

"Look, Shirley-" he began, but she blew him off, turning away in a huff.

"Whatever. Let's just get to class," Shirley muttered, still clenching her fists so tightly the knuckles went white.

Rivalz sighed and nodded, crossing his arms behind his head. "Well, you know, it might not be so bad," he commented airily. "Who knows, maybe that Lelouch guy will ask you to go with him?"

A few moments later, as he was regaining consciousness on the hallway floor, he regretted the joke.

00000

"This is so like Kaguya," Kallen muttered sulkily, crossing her arms with a huff as she turned towards Lelouch. They were currently sitting down at their desks in the classroom, though at the moment they were on a break. "Springing something like this on me. And a dance even! What am I supposed to do?"

"Dance?" Lelouch suggested dryly, and was rewarded with a playful punch.

"Oh shut up, it's more than that, and you know it," Kallen scowled, rolling her eyes. "It's… me and Suzaku? As a date? That's just… _weird_."

"It's just a dance," Lelouch muttered, shaking his head.

"Oohhh really?" Kallen said slowly, a catty smile on her face as she leaned forward. "Just a dance? Then who are you going with, pray tell, Lelouch Lamperouge?"

"I… uh…" Lelouch stammered.

Directly behind him, C.C. seemed to straighten imperceptibly, and Lelouch felt a shiver run down his spine.

Kallen smirked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought it wasn't a big deal, Lelouch-san?"

And with that, she stood. "Well, while you're doing that, I am going to grab a lunch," she said lightly, her tone one of supreme confidence, leaving Lelouch alone… with C.C.

"So…" C.C. drawled, and to Lelouch her voice was like the drawing of a noose around his neck, "Who are you taking, boya?"

"I… uh…" Lelouch broke out into a sweat. "I think Naoto is having a meeting in a few minutes and uh… I need to be there. But not in person. Just on the phone. Still. I should go. Somewhere else. To talk. Because it's a secret."

C.C. stared at him wordlessly, unblinking, and most of all, _freaking unnerving._

"I'm going to go now," Lelouch said awkwardly, his tone nearly robotic, and fled the classroom.

00000

"And in total, rebuilding the_ Kojiki_ airport, including the upgraded security measures and replacing the damaged or destroyed vehicles, is estimated to cost us upwards of two billion yen," Minami reported, shutting the folder with a barely hidden wince as he straightened inside of his chair.

Suzaku, dressed once more in the formal kimono he was forced to wear at meetings, restrained a wince himself, and flicked a hooded look at Naoto, sitting across from him in the conference room, wondering how the man he had known since he was seven could have allowed something like that to happen, let alone plan it.

"Kirihara Industries has agreed to shoulder most of the costs, given that expediency is a priority in this kind of matter, as a point of 'national pride'," Sancia commented, sitting to Naoto's right, as was her custom. "But they expect some concessions on the part of the provincial government as per their generosity."

Suzaku frowned, feeling wary. Kirihara Taizo was not a man to loan out his company's money like that without serious compensation.

"What does the Chief Minister ask of us?" Suzaku questioned, keeping his tone polite and formal.

Sancia coughed slightly, obviously aware of the kind of leverage she was conveying on behalf of the Imperial Council. "The Imperial factories in Glasgow, Dudley, Blackheath, and Sandwell are to receive an additional allotment of inmates for usage in the labor camp factories by the end of the month, with a 10% increase in overall recruitment for the camps expected in the following months. Also, the taxation of those factories is to be granted a break for a period of no less than one year."

"They want me to _increase _the prisoners in our labor camps?" Suzaku sputtered in outrage, fists clenching. "I spent the past three years working to shut those factories down, and now they want me to reverse everything I've been trying to build in a single day?"

"Aw, Suzaku-sama, don't be like that," Tamaki, the Secretary of Labor, chimed in, leaning back in his chair. Suzaku realized belatedly that these demands were likely why a bureaucrat like Tamaki was asked to sit in on this meeting. "These factories are important."

"As much as I hate to disagree with you, Suzaku-sama," Minami added, with an unspoken look of apology, "Tensions with the Eurasian Federation are mounting daily. The incident with the stolen Sakuradite tanker is fueling a fire that may not be put out diplomatically. Our factories must produce more Knightmare Frames soon to meet the demands of our military in the event of open war with the Federation."

Suzaku scowled, hands shifting within the expansive folds of his kimono. "At the expense of the Brittanian people? Those people in the labor camps aren't paid workers, Major- they're political prisoners! And by asking us- asking _me_- to increase the worker counts in those factories, they mean to force us to nearly double our arrests. Where are we going to find all these criminals?"

The unspoken accusation in his voice was known to all of them. They were going to start arresting relatively innocent people and sentencing them to years of hard labor in the camps to meet the demands placed on them by Kirihara Industries. It was distasteful at best, and absolutely reprehensible at worst.

Naoto coughed, drawing attention to himself as he gave Suzaku an expressionless stare. "Suzaku-sama, I don't like this any more than you do, but we have no real choice in this matter. This may have come as a request, but Kirihara Industries is led by the Chief Minister of the Imperial Council. The Emperor himself endorses the request. We cannot ignore it."

"Naoto…" Suzaku began, feeling almost betrayed. "You really believe that?"

"I am a soldier. I follow the orders of my country. You are our prince, Suzaku-sama, but you are not yet Emperor," Naoto said respectfully.

Feeling desperate, Suzaku began reaching for more rational arguments, knowing arguing morality was a loss now. "What about the resistance movements? Won't they react if we start increasing arrests? Or even _Jinchuu_?"

It felt strange, to use his alter-ego as a warning against his own people. But he was desperate- the labor camps were something he had worked tirelessly to minimize, and everything was about to be undone.

"If I may," Sancia intruded quietly, "Increasing arrests, especially on suspected members of the BLF, may in fact prove to weaken the resistance."

"Or make them angrier," Suzaku retaliated bitingly, and Sancia lowered her eyes and said a quiet apology.

Naoto met Suzaku's eyes fearlessly, his eyes clearly telling Suzaku to calm down. "Now is not the time to argue about this. We have our orders. We will carry them out, Suzaku-sama, with or without your approval."

Suzaku fell back, eyes wide in disbelief. "What are you saying, Naoto?"

"The Imperial Council has issued a statement suggesting they are considering revoking the provincial government's authority in this region for a period of time, and placing it under martial law- in effect, military rule- until they feel this crisis period is resolved," Naoto said calmly, though his tone was veiled steel. "Please, Suzaku-sama, do not give them reason to take your leadership away. Not now."

"If they want it, they can have it," Suzaku spat as he stood, the expansive folds of the kimono falling out before him like the waves of tsunami, the rush of blood pounding in his ears as his fury mounted. "Damn you Naoto. Damn you."

And with that, he stormed out of the meeting room without another word.

00000

Naoto sighed as he watched the conference room doors swing shut, closing his eyes tiredly as he rubbed his forehead.

_That could have gone over much better,_ he thought to himself with a wince.

"Man, the prince sure is touchy," Tamaki drawled with a chuckle. "Who cares about a few Brits going to jail anyway?"

His laughter abruptly died as Naoto fixed him with a steely look.

"I'm sorry, Secretary Tamaki-san, but I'm afraid that from here on in this meeting is strictly military personnel only. You're going to have to leave. These MPs will show you the way out," he said, his voice holding nothing but absolute, if chilly, politeness, as he inclined his head and two armed, broad-shouldered men in uniform stood at attention next to Tamaki's chair, clearly indicating he had best stand up out of it.

As the Secretary was lead out of the room, Naoto shook his head in disgust.

"Bureaucrats," he muttered irritably.

"If I may, Tamaki-san doesn't mean any harm," Minami interjected cordially, keeping his head bowed low and respectful. "He simply doesn't see Brittanians as an equal, like many other pure blooded men in the Empire. It's not out of malice he says these things, but…"

"Sheer ignorance," Naoto finished with a sigh. "I know. Believe me, Major, I know. I've spent plenty of time working with other regiments who look down on my men and women because they're not 'pure'. I know the difference between malice and ignorance."

There was a brief moment of respectful silence, like the world was holding its breath.

And then the moment was gone, and Naoto was all business once again.

"Right, so, on to more pressing matters," he said slowly, and pressed one of the buttons on the electronic console in front of him. "Rei,are you there?"

On the video screen at the far end of the conference room, a small black square, outlined in green, appeared, bearing words marked in red saying Audio Only.

_"I'm here, Commander, I'm here," _Rei said, his tone somewhat hurried. _"And not a minute too soon- I think she was starting to look for me." _

Naoto blinked. "What?"

_"Uh… nothing, nothing at all,"_ Rei replied awkwardly, "_So, shall we begin?"_

Naoto thought about pressing the line of inquiry, but ultimately decided against it as he nodded crisply, and tapped the console again. Several more images appeared on the screen, minimizing Rei's audio box to a small corner. The profile on Clovis La Brittania was prominent on one side.

"We currently have Clovis La Brittania in our holding facility in Greenwich, though we're preparing to ship him to a more permanent location soon," Naoto explained, pressing a few keys on the console, "So far, he has been relatively uncooperative as to regarding his whereabouts over the past seven years, or who smuggled him and his men back into the country."

_ "Stubborn,"_ Rei muttered, seemingly more to himself than to the others in the room.

"Indeed," Naoto agreed, shaking his head. "We have, however, gotten a name from him, as to the man who must have planted the bomb."

With a few audible clicks on the console keyboard, Clovis' picture was replaced with that of a grinning Brittanian with reddish-brown hair.

"Luciano Bradley," Sancia commented, reading the name over as the profile on him came onto their screens. "He's not on any of the lists of known Brittanian terrorists."

_"That's because he hasn't been active in years,"_ Rei cut in, his voice cold. _"I remember the name. He was one of the primary instigators behind the Bloody Sunday riots, part of the group known as the True Knights of Brittania."_

Naoto flicked a glance at the viewscreen. From the sound of Lelouch's voice, Naoto gathered that he did not approve of the group.

"That was the insurrection that attempted to take back power from the Empire, correct? The True Knights attacked several key locations in an effort to stir up a massive uprising that could have pushed out the Empire's occupying forces," Sancia questioned, bringing up articles on the riots on the screen. Headlines such as _Death Toll Mounts In Bloody Sunday Riots_ and _Japanese Government Declares Martial Law_ appeared.

_"But the people did not rise up as they thought, and those so called knights instead cost the Brittanian people over three thousand lives,"_ Rei answered coolly, though there was the barest hint of rage in his voice.

"According to the reports, this group, the True Knights, was led by the former Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein," Naoto murmured, glancing over the man's profile, which had a large red mark over it reading Deceased. The picture, though dated, was that of a bear-like middle aged man, still fierce in his older years. "He was assassinated during the closing hours of the Riots. Luciano seems to have been one of his protégés. Do you think he's after revenge for his old master?"

"From the descriptions of him, the man doesn't seem to be the sentimental type," Minami noted, frowning. "We even have the psychological profile of him from the old Brittanian records- he seems like a textbook sociopath."

"Well right now he's one of the most dangerous men in this country," Naoto muttered, clenching his fist. "He arranged that entire hostage taking for some unknown purpose. We need to find him before he can do any more damage."

"Easier said than done. Any evidence was utterly incinerated in the explosion," Minami countered, shaking his head in despair. "And he has no known address nor any recent pictures of him, given that all we have is his name and the word of a prisoner that he was even there. How do we know this isn't all some wild goose chase to keep us from the real culprits?"

_"It's real,"_ Rei interrupted, _"Clovis is desperate. He gave up the name so he can make a deal. He knows we need his information. Lying to us would only hurt his chances of making that deal."_

"Well, we don't have to go on just the man's word," Naoto cut in, a hint of a smile on his face. With a tap of the console, he brought up the image of a bullet. "Some of our men were shot, and thankfully we kept the bullets. These aren't Japanese- they're of Atlantic Arms manufacture, specifically AHP rounds, military grade. Which just so happen to be illegal in the country."

_ "Which means smuggling,"_ Rei murmured, comprehension dawning in his voice.

"Exactly," Naoto agreed, smiling wider now. "We follow the shell, we bring ourselves one step closer to the truth."

"_That sounds more difficult than you make it sound, Naoto-san,"_ Rei noted. _"How quickly do you think you can track the bullet?"_

"Sooner than you might think," Naoto replied, a hint of smugness in his voice. He might not be the strategic prodigy Lelouch was, but Naoto had his own strengths. "I have some contacts, and the police forces must know the names of the major smugglers. We'll be able to narrow down the supplier soon enough."

_"Excellent. Please update me as soon as you know any more, and I can-"_ Rei began, and was about to say something else when an inaudible shout interrupted him and he quickly mumbled, _"I'm sorry, I must go now." _

And with that, the connection cut.

"Well that was strange," Naoto muttered, blinking. "I wonder who got his attention so abruptly?"

00000

"Hey Lelouch-san!" Rivalz waved, running up to him in the break area of the campus building where he had been hiding, hoping to avoid any interruptions.

"Er… Rivalz-san," Lelouch said awkwardly, hastily shutting his phone and jamming it into his pocket warily. "Hello there."

"Sorry, were you talking to someone?" Rivalz said apologetically, giving him a questioning glance. "Just had to say, I love the Halloween Ball idea, even if Shirley here doesn't."

Coming up behind him, Lelouch noticed Shirley, who was standing just off behind Rivalz, who refused to meet his eyes for some odd reason.

"Ah… Thank you, Rivalz-san," Lelouch managed, offering them a weak smile. "And hello, Shirley-san. You haven't stopped by for your tutoring session in a few days- Takahara-sensei is beginning to grow concerned."

Shirley blinked, glancing away and trying to put up a skittish demeanor. "Ah… yes… well… I haven't felt very well over the past few days."

In reality, she had simply wanted to avoid Lelouch for a while. She still had yet to figure out her own goals, but she knew that she hadn't wanted to see him- unfortunately, to keep up the illusion of a normal girl, eventually she'd have to give in to the teacher's requests, she acknowledged.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Lelouch said apologetically, inclining his head respectfully. "I hope you are feeling better now."

Shirley blinked again, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone.

"I am," she agreed, deciding it couldn't hurt to be cordial. Didn't Darlton sound interested in Lelouch, after all? "I can make it today, if you're available."

"I am, and it would be my honor to help you," Lelouch said, smiling, hoping this was a sign that maybe she was willing to keep talking with him, keep listening to his pleas to forgive Japan.

In the background, Rivalz watched the exchange with a sly smile, slowly backing away without a word, wishing Shirley luck silently.

"Well, I should let you go-" Lelouch began, when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of green.

_Oh crap C.C. followed me,_ he thought in horror.

On impulse, he reached out and grabbed Shirley's wrist, forcing out a weak smile. "Actually, why don't we get some lunch? Are you hungry? I'll bet you are- the cafeteria has a special today, on account of the president's return," he said quickly, voice up an octave from panic.

Without waiting for a reply, he pulled her along. He was managing this mostly because Shirley was so bewildered she didn't fight it until they were well down the hall, and when she finally did she only knocked his arm away with a bewildered look.

"What is wrong with you?" Shirley asked, confused.

"Uh… sorry," Lelouch said awkwardly, glancing away in shame. "I just needed… needed to get away from C.C."

"C.C.?" Shirley blinked, glancing around, not seeing the other girl around. "Why would you be running from her? Don't you live together?"

And then, feeling utterly foolish, Lelouch realized, in his panic, that yes, he did live with C.C., and thus there would be no escape from that witch.

"Uh… yes, yes I do," Lelouch acknowledged, still unable to meet Shirley's eyes. "I uh… just… didn't really want to get cornered- er, talk to her right now."

Shirley tilted her head, still confused, until her wandering eyes spotted one of the Halloween Ball fliers on the wall, and understood.

"Ooh… I see," Shirley said slowly, and an unusually wicked smile appeared on her face. "Trying to avoid having to ask her to the Ball?"

"What? No, I'm not… we're not… I just know that she's going to make my being forced to ask a girl to the ball a living nightmare," Lelouch muttered, shaking his head.

"So you don't want to take her, is that it?" Shirley questioned, oddly curious. "You two seem pretty close, so I'm surprised you're so adamant about not talking about this with her."

"Er…" Lelouch suddenly felt even more foolish than before. Okay, yes, C.C. scared him- a lot- but she was also the person who had cared for him after the downfall of Brittania, who had secured him a protector and brother figure in Jeremiah, who had guided him for the past seven years, who had even granted him the power to fight. "Okay, I'm dodging her a little bit too hard, I think. But you have no idea how scarily annoying that witch can be. A matter like this… I'd honestly prefer torture."

Shirley laughed at that, and Lelouch managed a smile.

"Well, I think that's the first time I've ever gotten a laugh from you, ever," Lelouch said with a small grin.

Shirley flushed, suddenly self conscious as she broke eye contact with him, wondering how she had let her defenses down so easily. Lelouch was still an idealistic idiot, after all.

"I… I should go," Shirley muttered, and brushed past him without another word, leaving a confused Lelouch in her wake.

00000

Two kinds of silence reigned in the car. A brooding, dark silence which loomed as a sword of Damocles overhead, so large and overwhelming that it was almost palpable, and a second, slower and near stagnant silence of unspoken worry.

Milly, Suzaku, and Euphemia were making their way back inside the mansion after having left the government building, inside the limo. The cramped quarters of the car seemed even more claustrophobic with the weight of Suzaku's anger hanging over them all.

"Um… Suzaku-sama…" Euphemia began hesitantly, but a touch from Milly's hand and a shake of the other girl's head kept her quiet.

If Suzaku had heard her quiet inquiry, he did not acknowledge it, staring fixedly forward, hands pressed together under his chin, his expression reminding Euphemia distinctly of a gathering thunderstorm.

They stayed silent after that, all the way past when the limo arrived at the house, and even as they entered the mansion. It was only when they entered Suzaku's private rooms (Milly and Euphemia not wanting to leave him alone just yet) that the silence was broken, and in the most violent of ways as Suzaku neared his desk, where all his paperwork was done.

"DAMN IT!" Suzaku roared suddenly, hurling the contents on top of his desk down onto the floor with a such an expression that even _Milly_ backed away slightly. His hands moved like lightning, sweeping back and forth across his desk, until it was totally clear.

"I wish he considered that someone else is going to be cleaning that up," Milly muttered, obviously having recovered from her momentary shock.

For her part, Euphemia just stood there, uncomprehending. She'd never seen Suzaku in such a rage before, and it honestly frightened her- not really of him, of course, as even now she didn't really believe he'd harm her, but just seeing that expression… like Suzaku wasn't really himself at that moment.

"Damn it all to hell," Suzaku swore, slamming his fists down on the desk with a thunderous blow.

"Right, bad meeting then?" Milly commented lightly, though she continued to keep her distance.

"You could say that," Suzaku muttered darkly, seemingly regaining his composure slightly as he straightened. He glanced over at them with an apologetic look. "Look… I'm sorry you guys. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up about that."

"That was a little weird," Milly replied, arching an eyebrow. Euphemia said nothing. "You okay, Suzaku-sama?"

"It's just stress," Suzaku said dismissively with a shake of his head. "The Imperial Council is putting the labor camp factories back in high gear, and Naoto said that if I try to resist it, the Empire will take away my rule over Brittania."

Milly winced. "Ouch."

Euphemia blinked, obviously confused. "Uh… labor camps?"

Suzaku glanced over at her, a hint of mirth in his eyes at her bewilderment, though it faded quickly as he spoke.

"Prisons, really. The Empire uses prisoners to provide Kirihara Industries with free labor for its factories- all in the name of the glory of the Empire, of course, while Minister Kirihara makes a tidy profit with all this free labor." His fists clenched, and his jaw was set tight in barely checked rage. "They exchange human lives and dignity for money."

"But… aren't they still prisoners? Criminals?" Euphemia questioned, her expression still one of bewilderment. "Don't they deserve it?"

Milly patted her on the shoulder gently, shaking her head as the other girl turned to meet her gaze.

"No, Euphie. Not all of them. You have to understand… a lot of things can count as a crime in the Empire. Here, in Brittania, it's not so bad, since Suzaku-sama rules here, but elsewhere…" she trailed off, obviously not wanting to continue with that line of thought. "It's no secret that you can be sent to the labor camps as punishment for the lightest of crimes, as long as they think you'll be useful at the camps."

"Husbands taken from wives for the crime of speaking out against the Empire. Sons taken from their mothers for being too uppity with a noble," Suzaku muttered bitterly. "Families ripped apart to feed the war machine of the Empire, just so some corporate bastards can line their pockets with a little more money."

"How awful," Euphemia whispered, eyes wide and hands clasped over her mouth in shock.

"And if they take Suzaku-sama's rule away, things will start to be like that here. Naoto-sama will try to rule fairly, but military rule means others above him can override his authority. At least with Suzaku-sama, even the Imperial Council has to at least play along sometimes," Milly finished, hand on her forehead as she shook her head. "What are you going to do, Suzaku-sama?"

Suzaku said nothing, though he flicked a significant glance at Euphemia, then at Milly.

Milly frowned, though she understood the sentiment. "Hey, Euphie-chan," she called out, "Why don't you go down to the kitchen and fetch us some snacks? That ought to calm our little prince down."

Euphemia blinked, confused, but Milly gave her a confident smile, and so the amnesiac princess nodded along, bowed, and left the room.

As she left, Milly slowly walked over to the door and shut it gently, clicking the lock in place afterward.

"So, we're going after one of the Kirihara Industries factories then?" Milly questioned, without turning around to face him.

"Yeah," Suzaku admitted quietly, falling back onto his bed, hands clasped as he glanced down at the floor contemplatively. "I've avoided attacking them yet because of their distance from the London area and because of how crazy things have gotten around here, but… if I can destroy at least one or two of these factories, I can put some pressure back on the Empire."

Milly sighed, shaking her head as she turned around. "I'll make the arrangements. We can say you're taking a leave of absence due to stress or something, and need to get out of the city for a while, inspecting the areas outside of the capitol"

"Thank you," Suzaku murmured, offering her a weak smile of gratitude.

"It's a maid's job to look after her master. Especially one who's embarking on a crazy crusade to save the world," Milly replied glibly.

00000

Whenever Shirley imagined the face of the Japanese Empire, she always pictured the faceless, uniformed soldiers who she had seen in the streets the day her father was murdered. She imagined their leaders equally faceless, towering and cruel, like a dark monster atop a dread tower.

Meeting the Princess sort of ruined that for her.

"So you're Shirley Fenette-san, huh? Please to meet you!" Sumeragi Kaguya said happily, extending her hand out in a clearly foreign gesture to her. "I hope Lelouch-kun has been taking good care of you!"

Shirley awkwardly shook her hand and said nothing, hoping to play it off as shock from meeting such a celebrity. She had known that the Princess of the Empire was their school president and the founder of the academy, but had never met her face to face until today, when she had come to the Student Council room for her tutoring session.

"President, please, you're obviously making Shirley-san uncomfortable," Lelouch intervened, moving Shirley away from the princess. "We should get to work."

"Oh fine," Kaguya said with a huff, rolling her eyes as she all but tossed herself in her chair. "Where's C.C.-chan then, if you're going to be Mr. No Fun?"

"She's on cleaning duty today, with Kallen-san," Lelouch answered, as he set down a textbook on the table.

Kaguya sighed. "Oh well." And with that, she pulled out her PFP handheld gaming console, and a happy jingle began to play.

Lelouch gave her a long suffering look as he shook his head. "I guess that means I'll be doing the budget paperwork after we're finished here," he muttered, before turning back towards Shirley. "Let's get started then- I think we should start with your Japanese literature readings, since Takahara-sensei mentioned you've been behind on that."

They were maybe studying for ten minutes when a soft coughing sound was heard. Shirley blinked, but Lelouch steadfastly ignored it.

"Ah-hem," Kaguya said, a little louder.

"Alright, now this question is a little tricky, Shirley-san," Lelouch said, intentionally raising his voice to cover up the president's. "Did you understand the passage regarding Princess Murasaki?"

"AH-HEM," Kaguya repeated.

Shirley glanced over at Kaguya, obviously confused.

Lelouch tried to keep staring straight forward, but finally he sighed and stood. "Okay, what do you want, Madam President?"

"Oh, nothing really," Kaguya said, her smile all sweetness and innocence, "But now that you mention it, Lelouch-kun, my PFP is running out of batteries and I'm terribly parched. Would you mind running to the campus store downstairs and fetching me some new batteries and a drink?"

Lelouch gave Shirley an apologetic look as he nodded, an air of resignation in his movements. "I'll be right back," he murmured, and walked out the door.

As soon as he left, Kaguya jumped to her feet, clapping her hands delightedly.

"Well, now that he's gone, let's have some girl time, huh Shirley-chan? You don't mind if I call you Shirley-chan, right?" she asked, though it was clear the question was rhetorical.

"I… uh…" Shirley, bewildered, nodded weakly. "Sure?"

"Great!" Kaguya said happily. "Now, how do you feel about Lelouch-kun?"

Shirley face-faulted onto the ground in shock. As she picked herself back up, she managed, red-faced, "W-What? What do you mean?"

"Oh, well, I just thought, handsome boy and an Ill Girl, perfect setup! Just like that one arc in Destiny/Stop Twilight! Or maybe more like one of those visual novels by _Kagi _studios!" Kaguya exclaimed manically, leaning forward over the table, until her face was barely an inch away from Shirley's. "So? Do you think he's cute?"

"I… he… we're just…" Shirley sputtered, trying to back away, but Kaguya's face only seemed to loom larger in her vision. "We're just friends. Sort of. I mean, he's really annoying, but he's not all that bad I guess and why are we talking about this again?"

Kaguya giggled. "Because gossip is the foundation of a girl's friendship, silly! And I think you and I would be great friends!"

_Except I'm a terrorist and you're the princess of the enemy nation,_ Shirley thought mentally, and then pushed it aside. Gino and the Commander both wanted her to gather up some information- what could be better than being friends with one of the most important people in the Empire?

"Sure… we can be friends," Shirley said slowly, feeling slightly awkward. "But uh… we don't really have to talk about Lelouch, do we?"

Kaguya shrugged. "Sure. So he's not your type then?"

"No way," Shirley said firmly. "He's too… smug. And idealistic."

"He does have those moments," Kaguya agreed, shaking her head. "But you have to admit, it's kind of endearing, how he keeps trying to save the world without compromise."

"It's idiotic. Nobody can save the world, and thinking you can just make everyone happy without sacrifices is…" Shirley trailed off, biting her lip. If you could fight without sacrifices, that would make all the lives she'd taken as a terrorist meaningless. And that… that was something she couldn't accept.

Kaguya smiled understandingly, and patted her on the hand gently. There was a minute of precious, contemplative silence.

"Sorry to get all serious," Shirley said suddenly, shaking her head. "It's just…"

"I get it," Kaguya interrupted kindly, sounding far wiser than her youthful appearance. "But so, other than his idealism and his habit of snarking at any given opportunity, you have to admit, Lelouch-kun is handsome."

"If you like thin pretty boys," Shirley muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

"So you think he's pretty?" Kaguya cut in, moving closer, like a bloodhound catching a scent.

"I… er…" Shirley flushed, cheeks feeling red hot as she squirmed in her seat, pointedly not looking anywhere near Kaguya. "That's not… I mean…"

They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, which caused Shirley to nearly jump right out of her seat in complete surprise.

"Sorry," Lelouch apologized, looking concerned as he stepped back inside the room, one hand clutching at plastic bag. "Did I startle you?"

Shirley met Kaguya's eyes, and, without warning, in unison, they both let out a soft giggle.

Lelouch blinked, confused, and opened his mouth to ask what was going on. After a moment, he changed his mind and decided just to accept the weirdness that was the fairer sex, and again noted he really did have to talk to Suzaku to get a better understanding of girls.

00000

Elsewhere, Kallen was considering how weird one specific member of her sex was, as she glanced at C.C. out of the corner of her eye as she finished wiping down the whiteboard with the rag. They had done most of the cleaning thus far in relative silence, except occasionally asking the other to pass a tool of some sort, even though Kallen had a few fleeting impulses to try and spark up a conversation that ultimately fell flat.

Still, Kallen felt like she had to say something, to try and connect with the other girl. C.C. was friends with both Kaguya and Lelouch (heck, she lived with the last one), and if they were going to be working together on the Student Council, getting to know one another wouldn't be a bad idea.

"S-so… you live with Lelouch-san?" Kallen immediately bit on her lip. _What a dumb question. _

And true to form, C.C. turned towards her, the broom in her hands stilling, arching her eyebrow in a clear indicator of how pointless that question was.

"Yes," she answered anyway, "We live with Lelouch's legal guardian, who owns a bakery."

"A bakery?" Kallen blinked- now that was something Lelouch had never mentioned. "That sounds interesting. Do you two help out?"

"Occasionally." C.C. paused, setting the broom down as she walked on over to her desk, reaching into her bag for a small, foil wrapped package. Sedately, with the air of one presenting another with a great gift, she walked back over to Kallen and all but thrust the package at her. "Here. This is one of mine."

Kallen, bewildered, took the foil package and opened it up to find a curious looking piece of bread. She looked at it for a moment, then up at C.C., who stared at her expectantly. Finally, with a little bit of trepidation, she took a bite out of it-

"Wow, this is really good," Kallen said in wonderment, eyes widening in amazement.

C.C. smirked. "Of course it is. It's my own personal recipe. Feel free to stop by the bakery and pick up a few more, and tell your friends."

"You're a lot more enthusiastic about this than I would have guessed, C.C.-san," Kallen commented, as she munched on the pizza bread. "It's quite admirable."

C.C. merely shrugged.

"I find it an acceptable way of passing the time. And are you going to keep dancing around the topic or are you going to ask about my relationship with Lelouch?" she added, almost as an afterthought.

Kallen, who, despite having spent a bulk of her recent years as a career soldier, was still relatively used to Japanese-style discretion on such matters, blinked and flushed, caught. "Well.. I… living together when you're not related just seems… it's unique, I mean."

"You and your Prince live together, or so I've heard," C.C. replied smoothly, smiling as she peered over at the redhead with a hooded look.

Kallen blushed.

"Well that… I mean… I don't even live in the same wing of the mansion as him!" she protested hotly. "And it's only because the Imperial Council ordered it!"

"Mmmhmm," C.C. murmured, smiling widely.

Kallen rolled her eyes. "I can see why Kaguya likes you so much- you two must be terrifying together."

"Kaguya is a girl wiser than her years," C.C. replied mystically, her smile only widening. "And you'll see what we're capable of, now that you're part of our Student Council."

She cackled then in an obviously fake Noblewoman's Laugh, holding one hand over her mouth.

Kallen shook her head, turning away, unsure of how to deal with the strange green haired girl, though her lips twitched into a smile as soon as her back was turned.

And it was only because she had turned and was standing close to the window that she spotted the unmistakable lanky, dark haired figure of her older brother Naoto lounging by the school gate.

"What is he doing here-" she muttered, when she realized something else.

There were half a dozen girls crowded around him, preening and giggling in a manner that creeped Kallen out because that was her older brother and not some pop star to be stared at!

Without thinking, she dashed out of the classroom, leaving a bemused C.C. in her wake.

"Well, she's interesting," C.C. murmured.

She tilted her head to the side, as though she heard a reply to her comment.

"Yes, I suppose she does remind me a little of you, though far less… is crazy still an acceptable insult?" C.C. questioned, lips twitching. "Plus she likes my pizza bread. That's always a plus… no, I am not being petty. You insisted burgers were better than pizza. That's crazy in my book."

00000

"He's so handsome! You're Kallen-sama's older brother, right?" one of the girls questioned, peering up at him with flushed cheeks.

"You're in the military right! You must be really strong!" another girl exclaimed, reaching and clutching at the fabrics of his sleeve.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" a third asked, resulting in titters of giggling shock from the other girls around her.

"Girls, girls, please, I'm just here to see my sister." Naoto raised his hands in a placating gesture, but it was ruined somewhat by his rather pleased grin at the attention.

"Onii-chan, what are you doing!" Kallen all but shrieked as she pushed through the crowd, hands on her hips as she gave him a fierce glare. Without waiting for a reply, she whirled on the crowd of girls. "Shouldn't all of you be going somewhere else?"

Maybe it was her reputation, maybe it was just the forcefulness in her voice, but the girls scattered like dead leaves in the wind at her behest.

"Hey little sister, what have you done?" Naoto complained, watching the girls disperse with a forlorn look.

"Aren't you a little old to be hitting on schoolgirls? It's creepy," Kallen muttered, punching him in the arm. "And what are you doing here anyway?"

Naoto frowned, suddenly looking reluctant. "Let's talk somewhere else. I saw a taiyaki stand on my way over here."

"You know, I'm not a kid anymore, and we don't need to have a snack every time you want to talk," Kallen scowled, though she followed her brother out of the school obediently nonetheless.

"Hey little sister, who is the older one?" Naoto quipped with a boyish grin, jamming his hands into his pockets. He had changed out of his customary uniform and into standard street clothes- a windbreaker jacket, slacks, and a nondescript t-shirt. "Besides, I never said the taiyaki was for you."

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder which of us should have been the older one."

Naoto only smiled pleasantly and whistled until they reached the taiyaki stand.

"Two please," he requested, holding his hand up and flashing the number with his hands as well. After exchanging his money for the items, he grinned happily, passing one paper-wrapped pastry off to Kallen as he bit into the other one. "Delicious."

As they walked away from the stand, Kallen simply held the taiyaki in her hands and kept looking over at her brother, studying him. "So what's wrong?" she asked, frowning. "And don't say nothing, because the last time you bought me taiyaki like this, you were trying to avoid telling me your term of conscription in the army had come up."

"Right, well, you were cuter back then, you know that? Always following me around, copying everything I did with that same serious expression on your face," Naoto chuckled wistfully. "I remember you actually tried to hide yourself in my suitcase the day I left for basic training."

"I was a kid!" Kallen protested hotly, puffing her cheeks out in indignation. "And you're still dodging the question!"

Naoto sighed, glancing down at his feet with a conflicted look.

"I wish things were still that simple," he muttered, biting off another helping of his taiyaki.

Kallen's irritation faded at that, and, tentatively, she murmured, "Onii-chan… what happened?"

"I need you to talk with Suzaku for me," Naoto answered quietly. "We had… a disagreement. Political. Neither of us was really wrong, so I don't think either of us should apologize… but I still want to let him know it's nothing personal. Try to get him to understand that."

"I'm sure he understands, Onii-chan," Kallen said comfortingly, taking her first bite of the taiyaki and glancing upwards with a pensive look. "Suzaku's never been one to hold a grudge. He probably just got too hot-headed, that dumbass. But I'll talk to him anyways…"

She trailed off, suddenly remembering Kaguya's declaration.

_ "Oh, don't worry about finding a date, Kallen-chan! My dear cousin will be taking you, have no worries. It's his duty as your arranged marriage partner!_ _I've already begun making arrangements."_

Kallen's face suddenly heated up and she felt queasy. Kaguya said arrangements…oh god that could mean so many things. Dozens of nightmarish scenarios crossed her mind, each more mortifying than the last.

Naoto noticed her sudden silence and glanced over at her, chewing on the last of his taiyaki. "What's with you going silent now?"

"N-Nothing!" Kallen said quickly, still flushed. "I'll talk to him, alright! Just leave it alone, Onii-chan!"

_Maybe Suzaku will have a way out of this…_

00000

"Alright, well, I think that will do for today, Shirley-san," Lelouch said, sounding satisfied as he shut the textbook with a smile. "You did very well today."

"Ah… thank you," Shirley said, not meeting Lelouch's approving gaze as she stood, packing the last of her books into her bag. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Ah, tomorrow," Lelouch agreed, waving.

"Bye-bye Shirley-chan! It was nice meeting you!" Kaguya exclaimed, like an overly excited child.

As Shirley shut the door, she heard Lelouch's long suffering sigh and giggled, walking out of the building with an unusually light heart. As she exited the campus, her phone began to ring.

"Shirley," she said in greeting, her tone all business again.

_"Yo, Red. How's things on the home front?"_ Gino chirped.

"Hey boss," Shirley muttered, ducking away into a deserted alley to continue the conversation. "Are you still… you know?"

_ "At the Bastion? Yeah- hey listen, real quick, since this line isn't super secre," _Gino said briskly, his tone sounding unusually rushed._ "We're going to be coming back by the end of this week, and the Commander wants to see you. I'll let you know more later, but just be ready, alright Red?"_

Without waiting for a reply, the phone clicked off, leaving Shirley bewildered and anxious. The Commander wanted to see her? Well, that was alright- Cornelia had already mentioned they would be meeting soon. But still… what could it be about?

And there was still her report on Lelouch to think about.

General Darlton had said it was something she would have to talk to the Commander in person about, and made it expressly clear she wasn't to talk about it before that. Even now, Shirley still wasn't sure what to make of Lelouch, and the Commander's implied interest in her tutor only made things more confusing- what could the Vice President of the Sumeragi Academy have to do with the Commander of the Brittanian liberation Front? Yes, he might be the mysterious terrorist _Jinchuu,_ but Shirley's gut told her it was more than that.

Too many questions, not enough answers.

With a frustrated sigh, Shirley put her phone away, and started on her way home.

00000

Suzaku sighed tiredly as he slumped onto his bed, one hand over his face, palm facing upwards.

He had spent the past hour going over a possible travel itinerary Milly cooked up so he could conceivably and unnoticeably travel away from London for a week and be able to strike at one of the Empire's factories, and only after what seemed to Suzaku like an exhaustive interrogation was the blonde satisfied his cover was secure.

How Milly was able to do that so quickly… well, Suzaku had long ago given up trying to figure out how Milly managed to do all these things while acting like a complete lunatic.

A knock at his door brought Suzaku's attention back to his surroundings, and he sat up.

"Door's open," he called out.

The door creaked, and Kallen poked her head inside, looking oddly skittish. "Hey… is this a good time to talk?"

Suzaku blinked. "Yeah… sure, come on in," he said quickly, waving her in. "What's up?"

Kallen waited until she had taken a seat at his desk, sitting on the edges of it rather than taking the chair. "I uh… heard about the meeting."

Suzaku's expression changed, and he looked away. "Oh."

"Yeah," Kallen agreed, also looking down at the floor, tapping her fingers against the wood. "I just wanted to see if you were doing okay- I know the camps have been your pet project for years, and the way my brother put it…"

"You heard the council was thinking of taking away my authority?" Suzaku muttered bitterly, scowling. "I know it wasn't Naoto's idea, or his fault… but I just… I just got so angry."

Kallen flicked a glance over at him, as if weighing a thought in her head. Finally, almost reluctantly, she commented, "Yeah, I have noticed that… Um… Are you okay by the way? You never used to get so worked up before."

"Just stress," Suzaku said dismissively, shaking his head. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Kallen kept looking at him, biting her lip, but finally she nodded in acceptance and looked away. "Alright then."

The two of them fell into a companionable silence then, and Kallen's fingers continued to beat out a slow drumming against the wood the table as her other hand moved and accidentally landed on a small, formal white envelope emblazoned with a familiar insignia.

"Hey, when did you get a letter from Kaguya?" Kallen questioned, blinking in confusion, holding the letter up.

Suzaku shrugged, nonplussed. "Milly must have brought it in with the rest of my personal mail and forgot to let me know about it." He held out a hand, and took the letter as he was handed it. "I wonder what it's about…"

As Suzaku opened up the letter, Kallen suddenly remembered the other reason she had come to talk to him, and a chill went into her veins.

_Uh oh_.

"I am hereby ordered to attend a formal ball on the 31st of October… what? Why… and with a date?" Suzaku sputtered, looking up at her from the paper with an expression of pure disconcertion, like he was hearing a foreign language. "We're supposed to attend a dance… together? You and me?"

Kallen refused to meet his eyes, her cheeks nearly as red as her hair. "… yeah."

Suzaku stared at her, saying nothing, as if trying to will the situation away silently.

"Look it wasn't my idea!" Kallen protested, crossing her arms with a huff. "Couldn't you talk to her? Maybe convince her to change her mind?"

"Are you crazy? It's Kaguya- I try to change her mind and I'll somehow end up modeling her dress for her again!" Suzaku ranted, much to Kallen's amusement- that had been a pretty funny day, after all.

Suzaku scowled at her laughter, tossing the letter away with an irritated expression. "But come on… why would she do this? I don't want to go to some ridiculous dance with you, Kallen… it'd just be weird," Suzaku muttered, and unthinkingly, he added, "I mean, you'd have to go in a dress… and like that would ever happen, right? Heck, it'd be like going with another guy!"

All of a sudden, Kallen's laughter faded, and she raised a single eyebrow at him archly, fixing him with a stare. "And just what does that mean?"

All of Suzaku's instincts screamed at him to flee, and he felt a sweat break out. "I uh…" Suzaku stammered, realizing he had gone too far, "I mean… I didn't mean…"

"What, so I'm not a girl?" Kallen demanded, all but leaping off the desk as she planted her hands on her hips with a narrow look. "I can't wear a dress? Or look nice? Am I that horrible that you'd rather go with a guy?"

"No, I mean… what, I thought you didn't want to go! You think it would be weird too, right? So why are you getting angry at me!" Suzaku shot back, bewildered but determined not to back down.

"Because there's a difference between agreeing and being insulted!" Kallen snarled, and whirled away with her nose high in the air in a clear expression of disdain. "You should learn how to talk to a girl!"

"What… you…" Suzaku sputtered again, trying to follow the train of logic that had led to this unexpected argument. "You don't make any sense! You're my best friend! It'd be almost creepy, like going to the ball with Lelouch or something!"

"And what does that mean?"

_Oh, that was not the right thing to say, was it?_ Suzaku thought distantly, as though watching himself from a distance.

"Suzaku...you… you idiot!" Kallen snapped, kicking him straight in the shin and storming out of the room with a huff, leaving him howling in pain and clutching his knee.

As Kallen left, Milly, who had obviously been outside, poked her head in and gave him a sympathetic look.

"Well you screwed the pooch on that one, Suzaku-sama," she commented lightly.

"You think?" Suzaku muttered, staggering back to his feet. "What did I say?"

Milly said nothing, staring at him for a long while, before breaking out into a soft giggle. "Oh, Suzaku-sama. You're still so innocent."

And with another tittering laugh, she wandered off, the second girl in under a minute to leave Suzaku bewildered, though at least Milly hadn't hit him.

_How does Lelouch talk to girls so easily_, Suzaku thought wearily, and started to limp out of his room, intent on finding some ice and maybe a manual on the female mind.

Author's Notes

Okay, I admit, I was dipping hard into my crack-fic writing style during a lot of this chapter, but hey, I wanted to show off the lighter side of things that could be done only with Kaguya around.

Paradoxically, of course, I also know (from all your feedback) that I needed to establish Japan as more of an antagonist than I had been. I had always been planning on introducing the labor camps after the initial introduction arc (there's some small mention of them in Chapter 1), which just took up far more time than I anticipated. (To be clear, I was expecting to release the Halloween Ball event that I mention only THIS chapter on Halloween itself- as in the actual dance itself. That's how badly last chapter screwed my schedule)

This chapter also had a lot more scenes than this, but unfortunately I spent too long on this one specific day and thus I had to push back the rest of the scenes to a new chapter, in the interest of not having a 20,000 word chapter and creating another long wait.


	13. Chapter 12: A Devil Put Aside

_I've got a lot of bad things that I wish that I had never done_

'_cause they're coming back, coming back to me now  
And don't think I'll feel guilty or that I'll apologize_

'_cause I got my way, and that means I was right_

-"What Are Friends For", Reel Big Fish

Chapter 12

A Devil Put Aside

_02:00 AM Imperial Standard Time _

_Japanese Imperial Forward Base Akihito, Eurasian/Japanese Border_

The wind howled amongst the snow covered trees like the voice of a vengeful god, shifting the torrents of hail all around them, battering the watchtower from which two men stood, peering out at the darkness.

"Sentry duty blows," Private Chang Yung-fa scowled, dropping his spent cigarette to the half-frozen ground of the watch tower's floor and crushing the butt with excessive force. "Get me another."

"This is your last one, Chang." His shift partner, Private Jake Bernstein, passed over a fresh cigarette, giving him an annoyed look. Jake was one of the few Brittanians assigned to their almost all conscripted Chinese battalion, and had been Chang's friend since the two arrived at Basic together. "We only got so many of these."

"I only burned through mine because those stupid sentry cameras had to go down on our shift of all things, meaning the Staff Sergeant forced us to come up here in a fucking Russian blizzard," Chang replied irritably, "Damn it… I hate this country…"

"Weren't you born in this country?" Jake commented, pulling his arms together around himself.

"Not this part of old China," Chang refuted, shaking his head as he began pulling free his lighter from his pocket. However, the cold and his gloves made his grip slip, causing the lighter to fall to the ground.

Because he had crouched down to pick up his lighter, Chang stayed alive longer than he otherwise would have.

Barely audible in the howl of the vicious blizzard, the crack of a sniper's bullet rang twice, and Chang was covered in a veritable rain of Jake's blood as the man's body fell to the floor. His face was half gone, replaced with a horrifying mishmash of blood and brain and bone, but his other eye remained intact and stared lifelessly over at Chang, frozen forever in an expression of annoyance.

"Oh shi-" he managed, before the sniper, with professional accuracy, fired through the thin metal sheet that constituted a railing and hit him dead on between the eyes.

Far away, atop a snowy hilltop, Commander Orsus Zoktavir grinned a butcher's smile as he watched the second spray of blood from his electric binoculars, savoring the view for a moment before he tapped the communicator in his ear to activate it.

""_Tsel' unichtozhena!_" he rumbled in Russian, his voice a deep, resonating bass, sounding intensely satisfied. _"Da._ Go."

As his teams did as they were instructed, he turned towards the man behind him with that same grin. "Enjoying the view, Brittanian?" he questioned in English, his voice heavily accented.

The Brittanian in question gave him an expressionless look, his scarred, leathery face already obscured by the hood of the heavy greatcoat he was wearing.

"I was never here," he reminded Zoktavir. "I know nothing of this."

For his part, the Commander only barked out a booming, wild laugh that was covered up by the storm around them. "Of course not. Just like we won't know anything about you in a few weeks. All of these actions are just one beneficent coincidence."

The Brittanian's scarred face cracked into a wry smile.

"That would require a beneficent god, and the only gods I know of are cruel and evil and should have been destroyed already," he muttered, turning away. "I'll leave the rest to you Commander."

He headed back towards a waiting helicopter, which had its doors already open and waiting for him. As he stepped inside, shaking off bits of snow that clung to his greatcoat, he was greeted by a raucous laugh.

"You look ridiculous covered in all that snow," Luciano commented, looking calm as ever, crossing his arms behind his head as he propped his legs up on the seat opposite of himself. "Why are we all the way out in the ass end of Siberia anyway?"

"This is China," the Brittanian corrected, shaking his head as he pulled it free from the confines of the coat's hood. "And we're here, I believe, because our friends at Einherjar don't believe we're entirely trustworthy- they want to remind us of their power, and how easily they could destroy us."

"And they used the Butcher to do it," Luciano said in amusement, glancing out the doors to the massive, nearly seven foot tall giant of a man still standing on the hilltop. "Scary guy."

"And the most vicious dog Einherjar has," the other man agreed, settling into another of the helicopter's seats, tapping the pilot as he did so in order to alert the man it was time to leave. "Much like you were considered, in the old days."

"Old days? Are you saying I've lost my touch, old man?" Luciano challenged, his teeth bared in a wolf's grin.

"You let Clovis escape alive," he reminded the redhead.

"Clovis was a dupe who never knew a thing," Luciano scoffed, rolling his eyes. He paused, and reached under the seat, pulling free a black business bag, and from within that a laptop computer. "Besides, I think you'll forgive me when you see this footage we downloaded from the Factsphere of our test subject's Knightmares."

After a few audible keystrokes, Luciano presented him with the laptop proudly. On the screen was a video, in poor quality, from the point of view of the Knightmare.

He watched as a golden machine battled the Knightmare, watching two other Sidhe Knightmares, likely their other test subjects, come in and attack in sequence as well. The movements weren't coordinated like trained soldiers, he observed, but rather mechanically, done on observation rather than instinct.

His attention spiked when the golden machine began to glow a fierce, azure blue that was barely caught on video by the Factsphere, and Luciano, knowing that would catch his attention, paused it.

"So someone else built a Homunculus Drive," he muttered in wonderment. "From the looks of it, it's an energy supplement and amplifier to the Yggsdril Drive, like our own version."

"I thought you'd be interested in it," Luciano practically crowed, clapping his hands. "And guess what? This is that terrorist _Jinchuu_ people have been talking about."

"The vigilante who has been attacking our shipments?" he blinked. Now there was a surprise. Could it be V.V., striking at him from the shadows? Still, the shipments of Reaper were nothing- things were already far beyond drugs at this point. "Interesting… I think we'd better meet him."

"How do you want to play it, boss? I assume if we let word get out about a big enough shipment he'll be bound to show up," Luciano questioned.

"That will do," he agreed, nodding, and his scarred face grimaced into a slight smile. "In fact, pretty soon I'll even have a new toy for you to test out when you're capturing him."

"They're ready?" Luciano asked, eyes widening, looking almost like a kid at Christmas.

"They are," he confirmed, a hint of amusement in his voice at Luciano's utter rapture. "Most of them are to be saved for Day Zero, but you can use a few to capture this _Jinchuu. _And remember, we need him alive- I want to know how he got his hands on a Homunculus Drive, and what he knows about V.V. and the Geass Order."

"I'll get him to you alive- or mostly alive," Luciano promised half-heartedly, grinning.

"There's one more piece of business I want to discuss," he continued quietly, ignoring Luciano's maniacally jovial tone. "I've heard reports there's a factory in Dudley that's attempting to replicate Reaper in an underground lab. The lab is run entirely by criminals, so there's no true threat, however, as they attempt to discover the formula that makes our drug, things could become… complicated."

"Because they just might stumble onto its real purpose," Luciano finished, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Consider it done."

00000

Lelouch tapped a finger against the keyboard contemplatively, resting his cheek against the palm of his other hand, propped up on its elbow. The document open on the laptop held a full bullet pointed outline, though he had paused mid sentence as he returned to the thoughts that had spurred him writing the document.

_What could Luciano have wanted at the airport,_ Lelouch thought to himself. _He destroyed the entire place in an absurdly showy manner… none of it makes any sense… I have to be missing something._

He chewed his lip and continued the rhythmic tapping noise, furrowing his brow.

"You forgot your dinner again, highness."

He blinked and jerked in his chair, turning around to face Jeremiah's amused expression. The older man held a metal tray in his hands, upon which sat a steaming plate of ham, peas, and potatoes, as well as a tall glass of iced tea.

"Ah… thank you Jeremiah. Must have lost track of time while I was working on these plans for Naoto-san," Lelouch said, blinking his suddenly tired eyes as he reached out and took the tray, setting it down on the desk. "And how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

"Countless times sir. But my respect must be shown." Jeremiah peered at the document, reading off the title and the objective statements before he turned back towards Lelouch, who was staring at him expectantly.

"Contingency plans for the entire London area being compromised?" he said in astonishment. "That's a bit much, don't you think sir?"

Lelouch shook his head as he took a slow drink of the tea, sighing in appreciation afterward. "Naoto-san and I both agree that Luciano could be up to anything, and that his organization must have a great deal of resources to pull off the attack on the airport. We can't discount anything."

"The True Knights… that group collapsed after the death of Lord Bismarck. There's no way they could have survived this long to resurface," he muttered with a frown, shaking his head. "Luciano must have spent the past seven years preparing for this on his own, building this new organization."

"But what's he after? And why now? He had to have chosen this time for a reason," Lelouch muttered, furrowing his brow again in frustration as he scowled. "None of it makes any sense."

"Well there's no sense in dwelling," Jeremiah said comfortingly, patting him on the shoulder. "There are plenty of other matters that need your attention."

He was, of course, attempting to push Lelouch towards the rapidly cooling plate of food that Lelouch was steadfastly ignoring, but naturally his young charge passed by the obvious, as always.

"True," Lelouch said with a tired sigh. "_Jinchuu_ is still out there, and this airport problem has been taking away from my efforts to search for him. And with Clovis captured, the BLF will have to respond, especially if my suspicions are correct."

Jeremiah frowned, straightening. "Are you still certain it is Princess Cornelia in charge of the resistance movement?"

Lelouch nodded, rubbing his forehead.

"The facts are clear if you know where to look," he insisted patiently, his tone that of one giving a long practiced and thought out lecturer. "A member of the royal family is the most viable candidate to lead a resistance movement, and would also, conversely, have the most reason to hide that fact. Cornelia and the Third Imperial Armored disappeared in Scotland within a few weeks of the official surrender. Most of the biggest engagements the BLF have staged are consistent with tactics I learned from Andreas Darlton, the same tactics he taught to Cornelia, and as far as I know, she and I were his only students in the royal family. There are a few discrepancies that I suspect are linked with Schneizel's influence, but those are only vague suspicions that do not contradict my initial hypothesis."

"And you assume that Princess Cornelia will mount a rescue operation," Jeremiah concluded, his face marred by a frown.

"Cornelia has always had a soft spot for Clovis. She won't let Japan hold him in prison and execute him," Lelouch replied calmly, leaning back into his chair and tilting his head back, lost in old, dusty memories of his life as a prince. "But she'll be smart about it. She knows the prison in Greenwich is a risky venture. So she'll strike when it'll be easiest… when we transfer him to a more secure facility, for example."

He breathed out slowly, watching the few errant strands of his overly long bangs fly up for a moment as he did so. "I'll have to plan a secure route and a security plan once I know where we're transferring Clovis to," he murmured, half to himself.

"Right, well, until you do," Jeremiah began again, pushing the plate towards him, but once more, he was ignored.

"_Jinchuu_ is the real issue. His interference at the airport was covered up, but it presents a deviation from his original behavior- he saved Japanese citizens, citizens of an empire he swore to destroy," Lelouch said softly, oblivious to the plate of food next to him. "The man's a danger to us all, and he only ever acts for his own purposes… I thought before he might have been an agent of some unknown organization at first, but with this… he has to be acting alone. One man's will, controlling a weapon of incredible power."

"Just one man, acting alone?" Jeremiah blinked, the implications coming through instantly to a trained solider such as himself. "Where does he get his supplies? His intelligence? He'd have to some kind of network, even unknowingly."

"Naoto-san assumes he has a way of getting information from us. After all, his identity is unknown, so anyone could be leaking information to him without even realizing it," Lelouch answered with a shrug. "As for the supplies… he must have some kind of benefactors, but whoever they are, they must not care what he does with his power."

"They just let a man loose with that much power?" Jeremiah exclaimed skeptically, frowning.

"Once we lock that psychopath up, I can spend plenty of time picking apart the psychology of his actions," Lelouch muttered determinedly. "For now, I think we should start looking into recent Sakuradite battery shipments. Could be that someone is nicking a few batteries off a shipment, a small amount that could easily be taken as errors in shipping manifestos."

"I can make some calls," Jeremiah offered. "And since the package arrived yesterday, sir, I can also visit the docks personally."

"Please do, but be careful," Lelouch murmured. "These people might be dangerous."

"Of course, your highness," Jeremiah said with a sweeping bow.

As he turned to leave, however, Jeremiah cast a wry glance backwards and said idly, "Speaking of dangerous, your highness… C.C. seemed rather cross at dinner. Do be careful."

Lelouch visibly stiffened, and Jeremiah's lips twitched. Just as he was about to shut the door on his way out, without turning around, he added, "Oh, and remember to finish those peas, my prince. You're still a growing boy."

00000

"Kallen-sama still isn't talking to you, Suzaku-sama?" Milly questioned, setting down his customary morning cup of tea on his desk. "You two should have made up last night."

"No, she wouldn't talk to me, even at dinner. She just… acted like I wasn't there," Suzaku muttered with a scowl as he blew on the surface of the green tea, hoping to cool it off. "What did I say?"

Milly only giggled, and his scowl deepened.

"Alright, well, this might cheer you up. Kaguya-sama has sent word that she will be coming here, tonight, to dine with you," Milly said formally, presenting him with a letter. "It's the first official visit she's made to the house in quite some time."

Suzaku nodded along, opening the letter and scanning it with only a minimum amount of attention, focusing more on his own thoughts than the words on the page.

Though Kaguya did spend a great deal of time in Brittania running and attending her pet project Academy, the fact remained that they actually saw each other occasionally at best, and almost always on official state business.

Unlike himself, Kaguya was very popular with the people of the Empire- beloved by both the pure blooded Japanese and the 'second class' citizens alike as both a political figure and a humanitarian (and also for a brief year, pop star. Suzaku secretly had her debut album on his computer, a fact that only Lelouch was aware of, which his so called best friend kept as incredibly useful blackmail material). She did charity work, endorsed the rights of non-Japanese citizens, and even opened that Academy in order to facilitate relationships between the Japanese and Brittanian peoples.

Suzaku hated her a little for all of it. Kaguya was too idealistic, too blind to see that for every run down orphanage she donated to, for every political lobbyist she persuaded to give greater rights to conquered peoples, for every little thing she tried to do for the down-trodden… it was all for nothing, really.

Those orphans still didn't have their families back. Those politicians were ineffectual or corrupt or both and would likely reverse those laws or not even bother to enforce them at all. Nothing was really changing in the world.

All of it was just assuaging guilt, in Suzaku's mind, because Kaguya understood, on some level, that all of her fame and wealth and influence was bought by the blood of millions, just like himself.

But if the Empire was gone, there would be no war orphans, no people stripped of their national sovereignty and pride, no need for all of it.

The one-time Suzaku had said as much to Kaguya, they hadn't spoken again for over a year.

Still, the public needed its prince and princess to be a family, and underneath it all Suzaku acknowledged Kaguya only wanted to do good, in whatever misguided way she could. She was still his cousin, and he did love her. He just didn't always see eye to eye with her.

"Please tell her I look forward to it, and I'm happy to host her here at the mansion," Suzaku said quietly. "And Milly, did you manage to get what I asked for?"

The blonde nodded, and reached inside of one of her hidden pockets to produce a small USB drive. With a glance at him and a silent request for permission, she reached over and plugged in the device into his laptop, typing in a few keystrokes after it booted up.

"This is the blueprint of the factory in Dudley, which is primarily a Sakuradite refinement and treatment facility that handles most, if not all, the Sakuradite mined in the country and offshore at the Sakuradite rigs," Milly said quietly, passing over the laptop after bringing up the image file. "According to this, the main building, here, has a container that is almost always holding a large amount of Sakuradite waiting to be refined, which we can use to destroy the facility. We have to be careful though, because the prisoner living quarters are situated adjacent to the primary factory building- fenced off and guarded by watchtowers, of course, but still close enough that they may be caught in the blast."

"Not a problem," Suzaku said grimly, clenching his jaw as he studied the outline of the complex. "I can set those people free before destroying the factory."

"You didn't say you were going to bust anyone out of jail," Milly commented, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Suzaku blinked, turning towards her with a slightly perplexed look. "Why wouldn't I? The factory in Dudley is one of the first ones established- it has the most amount of political prisoners, people taken in the early years before I took power here."

"True, I guess just destroying the weapons factory and planting a banana grove there or something wouldn't be enough for you, but… well… not to rain on your parade there, Suzaku-sama, but what exactly will you do with those people once you free them?" Milly noted, glancing up at him. "It's not like you can just take them back with you.

"True, I didn't think of that," Suzaku acknowledged with a frown, bowing his head. "What do you think, Milly?"

"You should recruit them!" Milly exclaimed, clapping her hands delightedly. "Maybe make a resistance group of your own! The Knights of Earthly Justice or something like that."

"I can't go around training people, Milly- I'm barely able to keep my position as governor and _Jinchuu_ as it stands," Suzaku refuted, shaking his head. "Much less manage an underground organization."

"Then you should send them off to the BLF or something," Milly shrugged, waving her hand dismissively.

"The BLF…" Suzaku murmured. So far, he had avoided having too much to do with that group- he refused to be used by them as a tool, lest they blunt his purpose. And if they discovered his identity… well, there could be all sorts of problems there.

He remembered that young commander he met though, that day in the Underground that seemed like a different lifetime ago. Gino, his name was- didn't he say that if Suzaku ever wanted to talk to the BLF, to go to a place called Malory's and ask for him?

"Hey Milly," Suzaku began, an idea forming in his head, "I need you to get a message out for me…"

00000

Euphemia hummed idly to herself as she grabbed another dish from the pile, one of the nameless tunes she often found herself unconsciously singing at times. For some reason, whenever she was alone, she found this one particular tune coming to mind more than any other.

"I remember that song."

Euphemia let out a slight yelp and nearly dropped the dish in her hands as she turned to her right to stare at Suzaku's apologetic face.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" he asked gently, peering at her quizzically.

Still somewhat rattled, Euphemia shook her head, offering him a small smile. "N-no. I'm fine, Suzaku-sama."

As she met his eyes, however, she remembered his terrifying expression yesterday, that dark rage that she had never seen before on his face, as though Suzaku had become a different man altogether for a few moments, and shivered.

Suzaku, for his part, accepted her statement, and continued on ignorantly, "Well, I was just about to go over and visit Nunnally, and wanted to see if you wanted to come along- Milly has errands to run today, so she won't be able to come."

"Uh… yeah, sure, Suzaku-sama," Euphemia said quickly, nodding along. "Just let me finish up here. Milly-san said we needed all the chores done quickly today to prepare for your cousin's arrival."

Suzaku nodded in acceptance, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, simply watching her work, the two of them falling into a slightly awkward silence.

Finally, after a minute or so of not talking, Suzaku finally spoke. "Hey Euphie… you're a girl, right?"

Euphemia actually gave him a rather frosty, near indignant look over that remark, and he coughed, realizing his mistake.

"Er… okay, what I meant was… do you know why Kallen would be so angry at me for saying she was like a guy to me? I mean, I didn't really mean anything by it, I just tried to say she was one of my best friends and…" Suzaku trailed off, shrugging helplessly.

Euphemia's indignant look faded into a mixture of pity and girlish amusement. "Oh Suzaku-sama," she said with a shake of her head, "I think maybe Kallen-sama just wants to be seen as a girl, as well as your friend."

"I know she's a girl," Suzaku muttered stubbornly.

Euphemia giggled at his obstinacy, and Suzaku smiled at that.

"You've really changed, Euphie," Suzaku noted gently.

"I've changed?" she questioned, blinking in confusion.

"Or, I guess it's better to say you're acting more and more like your old self as the days go by," Suzaku corrected with a shrug, smiling a little wider at her. "It's a good thing, Euphie. Even if you can't remember your past, you're still you."

Euphemia felt her cheeks redden just a tad at the warm praise coming from Suzaku, and she looked away quickly. "Um… I'm done now, Suzaku-sama. We can go."

Suzaku blinked at the sudden change in topic, but accepted it, still as confused about women as he was when he started the conversation.

Still, he was happy to see Euphemia growing more and more lively- it made his next decision much easier.

"Hey Euphie," Suzaku began, as Euphemia turned around from drying her hands on a washcloth, peering over at him curiously. "I'm going to be going out of town for a few days, maybe a week, and I'd rather you stay here for right now- it's safer than being in a hotel where anyone might see and recognize you. Is that alright with you?"

Euphemia nodded, though her lips pressed together in a vague frown. "Um… Suzaku-sama… what are you going to be doing?"

"Oh just some official state business, going around for a goodwill mission, checking in on other parts of the country, that sort of thing," Suzaku said vaguely, forcing out a weak chuckle, trying to keep the conversation away from the exact specifics. He was stopping by a few major cities (including Dudley, the target site), but all in all the trip was just a good cover story. "It's all kind of boring, really, so don't worry too much about it…"

He trailed off when he realized Euphemia wasn't laughing, and just kept looking at him, even crossing her arms with that same no-nonsense, "Stop lying right now or I'll get mad" look she used to give him and Lelouch as a child when they tried to keep her out of their 'boys only' activities.

It worked now just as effectively as it did then, and Suzaku wilted.

"Suzaku-sama… I told you before you don't have to lie to me," Euphemia whispered softly, placing a soft, warm hand over his own with a pleading look. "I… I know."

Suzaku felt his heart skip a beat. "Euphie…"

"I'm not going to say anything else, and I don't have any way to help so I'm not going to get involved," Euphemia interrupted insistently, fixing him with a wide-eyed stare. "But you don't have to lie to me. Just… be careful."

The vulnerable expression and worried tone Euphemia's voice had taken on scared Suzaku, as he suddenly realized that, aside from himself and Milly, Euphemia was virtually alone. She had no memory of her mother, her father, her sisters, her brothers… any family or friends she had before that day in the Underground.

If something happened, she'd be alone again too.

"I will," Suzaku promised, though even he had to acknowledge it was more or less a lie- he was planning an assault on one of the most important factories in the country, guarded by the military (the deceased Kusakabe's division, not Naoto's own personal forces).

But Euphemia wasn't truly alone in the world- she just didn't know that.

Suzaku made a decision in a split second. All he had to do was pick up the phone and send a message…

00000

"I've forwarded you my recommendations for security regarding the prisoner transfer," Lelouch said quietly. He was leaning against the window of a deserted school hallway, keeping one eye out the window and one on the stairwell to make sure no one was coming by.

School was going to be over in just a few minutes, but Naoto said that this time would be the best to call, so Lelouch made some excuses and headed off to make the call. It helped being the Vice-President when you wanted to skip a class period.

_"Thank you,"_ Naoto said quietly. _"Our search is narrowing, by the way- I think we've got the name of an arms dealer who might have the information we're looking for."_

"Should I-" Lelouch began, but was cut off.

_ "No, I think I should keep you as an ace in the hole,"_ Naoto interrupted, _"Besides, if we're trying to keep this low profile, you might attract too much attention in that mask. Anyways, it's probably best I leave you here in case anything goes wrong. I've already left standing instructions with Major Minami to take his orders from you in an emergency if I am unavailable. And if he is not available, and any soldier asks for confirmation of your authority, tell him you are acting under Emergency Order Zero, code word Winter Contingency."_

Lelouch blinked. That was a stunning level of power for someone outside the chain of command to be handed- with that standing order, Lelouch could quite easily take power at any point Naoto was incapacitated.

"Kallen-san won't like that," Lelouch murmured softly, a note of humor in his voice.

_"What she doesn't know won't hurt her,"_ Naoto replied wryly. _"Just remember those instructions- there might be a situation someday where I'll need you to take over."_

"What do you mean by that?" Lelouch questioned, frowning, tucking one arm under the arm holding the cellphone, shifting his posture slightly. "Did something happen?"

"_Just keep your head down and ears open for now,"_ Naoto said evasively. _"I'll let you know if anything comes up."_

And with that, he hung up, leaving a confused and worried Lelouch on the other end of the line.

_ Just what was that all about_, Lelouch thought to himself, staring down at his phone with a mixed expression. _Maybe it's-_

"Hey Lelouch!'

Lelouch, still leaning against the wall, slipped slightly, startled, glancing around wildly until he saw who had called out to him.

"Who were you just talking to, Lelouch?" Kallen questioned, peering at him quizzically as she moved closer to him.

_ Why does everyone insist on asking me that exact question when I'm trying to hide my secret identity,_ Lelouch wondered as he forced out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "N-No one, Kallen-san. Did you have something you needed from me?"

Kallen blinked, looking a little confused at his evasiveness, but she nodded along, and said, "Yeah, actually. I need to talk to you for a minute."

Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Lelouch by the tie (_not again_, he thought, annoyed) and dragged him off down the hallway and out the doors of the building, ignoring his flailing and garbled yelps for her to release him.

As soon as they were outside and alone in the school gardens, well away from where most people would be coming by, Kallen released him, and Lelouch coughed, rubbing his throat and giving her a slight glare.

"You could have just let me walk with you instead of dragging me off like that," he protested hoarsely. "Or even stayed in the hallway- I know the gardens are a bit more private, but honestly, no one is going to be on that stairwell until the school bell rings."

Kallen only smiled sweetly in response.

Lelouch scowled. "Alright, what's so important," he muttered, straightening his tie and smoothing out his wrinkled shirt.

Kallen's expression changed in an instant, and she looked away, though not before Lelouch caught a glimpse of an uncomfortable look on her face, and his scowl softened.

"Did something happen?" he questioned, blinking.

Kallen remained silent.

"Look, I mean, I'll do whatever I can to help, Kallen-san," Lelouch assured her gently, "But unless you tell me what's wrong I can't really-"

"Why is Suzaku such a jerk!" Kallen blurted out.

"-help and wait what?" Lelouch finished, blinking as his jaw fell slack. "What do you mean? Did he do something wrong?"

"He just… he just doesn't know when to stop talking!" Kallen insisted, her voice nearly strangled with raw frustration as she clenched her fists. "I mean, jeez, I don't like Kaguya's idea much either, but he didn't have to insult me like that! And what does he mean, I wouldn't look good in a dress? I oughta-"

"Okay, I think it's a safe guess to assume Suzaku said something that ticked you off," Lelouch joked weakly, interrupting her tirade as he held up his hands.

"Er… yeah, sorry, I guess I got carried away there," Kallen admitted, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Well it's not healthy to keep stuff like that bottled up I guess," Lelouch muttered, more to himself than to her, before he continued in a louder tone, "Okay, so, Suzaku insulted you- what did you want from me?"

Kallen shrugged, her cheeks darkening into a more substantial red than before. "Well… I mean… I guess I just really needed to talk to someone about this and vent, you know?"

"What about your brother? Or the President?" Lelouch questioned, raising an eyebrow as he added, "I mean, I'm flattered, but I would think there are others you've known longer…"

"I'm going to visit my brother today, but I'd rather not talk to him about this, really. And if I talk to Kaguya that can only lead to worse problems down the road," Kallen insisted, crossing her arms defiantly as she gave him a 'Are you dumb?' look. "Besides, you've known Suzaku a long time, and I thought… I don't know, that you'd have some insights."

"True," Lelouch admitted, knowing full well Kaguya was probably not the kind of person to defer to in this matter. "But as for insights… you've known him even longer- you should know that Suzaku would never intentionally insult a friend. He always means well, even if he is rather rough and uncouth about it at times."

Kallen's features softened at his words, and, though rather reluctantly, she nodded. "Alright… so what you're saying is, Suzaku's an idiot, but he's not a jerk."

Lelouch chuckled. "Yes." He opened his mouth to say more, when his phone began to buzz gently, chiming cheerily.

"Ah," Lelouch said, blinking, "Excuse me one moment. I have a text."

He flipped open his phone, and his mouth quirked into a wry smile as he saw the name of the owner of the message.

_Speak of the devil_, Lelouch thought to himself.

The message was short.

_ The usual place, Saturday, three o'clock. _

Suzaku always liked to pretend at being secret agents or such when they were kids- he had been so delighted when Lelouch came up with their own secret hand sign language that, even though it took him four times as long to learn the language as it took Lelouch to create it, he had done it with amazingly dogged persistence.

When he looked up and met Kallen's questioning gaze, he smiled and showed her the name.

Kallen laughed a little at that, shaking her head. "He must have been sneezing while he texted you," she chuckled, and looked as though she was about to comment when another voice broke in.

"Yoo hoo! Kallen-chan!"

From the second story window, Kaguya's cheery face was visible, and her arm moved energetically back and forth in a vigorous wave. "Come on, the meeting's about to start!"

Lelouch and Kallen exchanged a droll smile, and Lelouch glanced up at Kaguya with an amused look. "Okay, we'll be there in a minute, President…"

Kaguya glanced down, as if noticing Lelouch for the first time, and smiled a little wider, if it were possible. "Oh, not you Lelouch-kun! I need you to run over to Commercial Street and place some orders."

"Can't you just phone it in?" Lelouch questioned loudly, frowning.

"Well I can't choose decorations based on what some lady is telling me they look like," Kaguya said as if it were obvious, giving him a nonplussed look. "But I'm going to need to get ready to visit my cousin today, so I can't go off to the East End personally, so I'm sending my right hand man."

"Me, in other words," Lelouch sighed, nodding his head. "Alright, alright. I assume I have the right to choose whatever I think works."

"Naturally- you have excellent taste, Lelouch-kun, despite being a boy," Kaguya said happily.

"Thanks for that vote of confidence," he muttered.

00000

Rivalz yawned sleepily, wishing for the umpteenth time he hadn't given in to temptation and watched the documentary on motorcycles that had been playing right before his usual bedtime. Still, school was over now, and as he crossed his arms behind his head and walked with the crowd towards the above ground rail system.

Though he was a member of the Brittanian Liberation Front, he had to admit he kind of liked the rail system the Japanese installed over the old Underground railway- much cleaner and faster, really.

As the crowd thinned out Rivalz was surprised to spot a familiar face heading towards the Station as well, and he called out, "Oi, Lelouch-san!"

The Vice-President of the Student Council glanced backwards, and offered him a friendly smile in greeting. "Ah, Rivalz-san. Are you going to the Station as well?"

"Yeah," Rivalz replied, giving him a curious look. "I've never seen you go this way- you going out to the East End?"

"Ah, yeah, Commercial Street. Student Council business and all that. And yourself?" Lelouch asked politely.

Rivalz grinned. "I'm headed the same way. My job- you remember, that pub I was working at when you came by? The Commercial Street Station is the closest one to it."

"Oh right," Lelouch murmured, the memory of that encounter coming back to him. It had only been a few days since then, but that was also before he assumed the name of Rei, and the time before that seemed long ago now. "Yes, I remember."

After that, the two of them began to exchange pleasantries, and, to his surprise, Rivalz found Lelouch rather easy and interesting to talk to, the two of them falling into an amiable atmosphere as they walked into the station and towards the tram.

"So what do you for fun, Lelouch-san?" Rivalz asked curiously, as they boarded the train.

"I like chess," Lelouch admitted, as the two of them took a standing space near one of the doors, "Though any kind of game is interesting to me. C.C. bought us a PFP Homestation when it came out, so I've had to play a lot of those with her."

"Oh wow, I didn't really figure her for the type to like video games," Rivalz said in surprise, blinking. "What kind of games do you guys play?"

"We have a pretty varied library- League of Heroes, Princess Tactics, Iron Kingdoms, Call of the Mission: Medal of Valor, and for a short while she even had me playing Land of Battlecraft," Lelouch rattled off, a slight smile on his face. "We used to play fighting games like Alley Fighter 4, but I got better than her so she sold the game."

"Oh Battlecraft," Rivalz said fondly, grinning. "Which server were you guys on?"

"Bloodtide," Lelouch answered, meeting Rivalz's gaze with a curious look. The train shook slightly and Lelouch's hand shot up automatically to grab at one of the handholds. "You play?"

"On a different server, but yeah, I played when it came out. A friend of mine got me into it, though since she moved to the Eurasian Federation I haven't played much," Rivalz replied, shrugging with one arm, using the other to hold onto the handhold above him. "So besides video games, you said you like chess? Have you ever heard of the chess games they have at Hyde Park sometimes?"

"The ones people play for money?" Lelouch blinked. He had heard a rumor about that from some people who had come by the bakery once or twice, but he had never believed that people actually risked money on those games.

"That's the ones," Rivalz said cheerily, grinning again. "If you've got a knack for it, you can win plenty of money there."

"What sorts of people are gambling on these games?" Lelouch asked, bewildered. It just seemed silly to gamble money on chess.

"Snooty former nobles, a lot of the time, the ones who have the money and connections to still live comfortably even now by being useful in some way to the new government. Not a lot of Japanese come by- they prefer to thumb their nose at chess and play shogi or Go instead, so it's a nearly all Brittanian crowd," Rivalz explained casually, his expression bright. "I can take you there sometime."

Lelouch gave him a dubious look. "Rivalz-san, if I didn't know better, I'd say you wanted me to enter these games and win that money… presumably splitting a share with you."

Rivalz grinned and tried his best to look innocent.

Lelouch thought about it, then finally shrugged and nodded. "Well, I'll think about it."

And the funny thing was, he actually meant it.

Because between his mundane life at the Academy (yes, somehow Kaguya's insanity taking over his daily life had made madness routine) and the mind numbing, stressful time he was spending as Naoto's personal war adviser, winning a little money off of a few ex-nobles while getting a bit of intellectual fun out of the deal sounded rather appealing.

00000

Shirley was finding herself more and more accustomed to arriving at that rather innocent looking wooden door of the Student Council room as the days went on, her footsteps now taking her almost automatically from her classroom to the clubroom. It was kind of fun, she had to admit, especially when C.C. or Kaguya made Lelouch flustered and he started turning red, his normally smug, self-assured nature vanishing completely.

As she opened the door, she was greeted by the familiar sight of the Student Council- Sumeragi lounging lazily in her absurdly ostentatious pink monstrosity of a chair, C.C. reclining into her chair, yet another magazine in her hands, and Kouzuki busy with a notebook.

One member, however, was absent, which brought Shirley to a halt.

"Ah… Lelouch-san isn't here?" Shirley questioned, her words catching the attention of the other three girls.

"Oh no, Shirley-chan! I had to send him to take care of some Student Council business! Sorry, I should have let you know in advance," Kaguya apologized, bowing her head as she got out of the chair.

"Ah… okay," Shirley said, blinking in surprise as she turned to go-

"Oh don't leave!" Kaguya said quickly, grabbing at her sleeve. "Stay, please! We could use another voice in deciding things for the Ball!"

Shirley hesitated, and Kaguya seized upon her moment of weakness, pulling her onto one of the empty chairs.

"Now," Kaguya said happily, once Shirley was in her seat, "What are you thinking to go as for the Ball, Shirley-chan?"

"I… I haven't really thought about it," Shirley said slowly, trying to hide a small frown. She was a member of the Brittanian Liberation Front, a Knightmare pilot even- she had more important things to worry about than some silly ball.

"I think you should go as a magical girl! Or maybe a cute witch!" Kaguya suggested, grinning. "I think you with an overly large witch's hat, staff, and maybe a small black cat would be perfect!"

C.C. coughed, and Kaguya and Shirley both glanced over at her.

"Oh yes, I know what you're going as, C.C.-chan," Kaguya said, waving her hand dismissively, "But your costume will be so different from Shirley-chan's over here."

"A witch's costume," Shirley muttered, feeling an odd moment of nostalgia coming over her. "I did that once, when I was eight…"

"Well, then this is perfect! Bring back the old, fond memories of your childhood!" Kaguya urged, clapping her hands delightedly. "Now, Kallen-chan, let's work on your costume."

Kallen's cheeks went slightly pink as she looked up at Kaguya from her notebook. "Look, Kaguya, I…"

"I'm thinking bunny suit!" Kaguya suggested suddenly.

"Not on your life!" Kallen shot back, horrified at the very prospect. "I would never, ever do that."

Even Shirley, who rather disliked Kallen on a professional level as an enemy, had to admit that even she wouldn't wish that kind of embarrassment on the other girl.

"Oh fine, if you don't like that idea…" Kaguya hummed thoughtfully, tapping her index finger against her lips. "How about a red plugsuit? You could get some hair extensions and some red hair clips too!"

"That show's a little dated," Shirley commented idly, without thinking.

Kaguya blinked, turning back towards Shirley with an expression of delighted surprise. "Oh, Shirley-chan! You watch anime?"

"Er… Rivalz likes them, and he convinced me to watch a few with him," Shirley admitted embarrassedly.

"Did you see the new movie?" Kallen asked curiously.

Shirley met her gaze and, for once, didn't feel that usual rush of dislike and resentment toward the other girl that she usually did when looking at her. Most of the time, Kouzuki Kallen was a symbol of the Empire, a traitor to her Brittanian blood and a terrible enemy of the BLF.

Right now, to Shirley, she looked like just another girl.

"Yeah, I did," Shirley nodded. _What the heck, talking won't change anything between us. We're still enemies outside of this school._ "I loved the new CGI."

"Right?" Kallen said excitedly. "The mecha were so cool- I wish I had something like those."

"You pilot a mecha in real life," C.C. noted dryly, glancing up from her magazine.

"Yeah, but those mecha are way bigger," Kallen refuted, grinning.

"Still, psychic control over a machine?" Shirley commented, raising an eyebrow. "That's just science fiction."

"True, there's no way anyone has a machine like that," Kallen agreed, shrugging. "But it's cool. Hey if you want I can let you borrow some of my other mecha series, Shirley-san. G-Fighter is cool…"

"It's kind of tacky," C.C. said, wrinkling her nose in disdain.

"Cheesy can be good," Kallen said defensively. "It's better than a more depressing series anyway."

"True, true," Kaguya agreed, cutting in with a smile as she turned back towards Shirley. "So, Shirley-chan, besides anime that you're forced to watch… what else do you like? Any hobbies?"

"Swimming, I guess," Shirley said automatically, shrugging. "I've always enjoyed it- if I didn't have anemia I might have tried out for the swim team here."

"Oh, well that sounds lovely! Maybe you can teach me sometime," Kaguya murmured, "I don't really know how to myself."

_ Being offered to teach the princess of the enemy nation swimming,_ Shirley thought. _This is beyond surreal. Secret identities are confusing._

00000

Rivalz waved goodbye to Lelouch as they split off from each other at a stoplight- Lelouch was headed to a more respectable part of town, the part of town owned now by the Japanese, while Malory's was well out of the way of the main areas, a nice hole in the wall in a lower-middle class neighborhood for Brittanians only.

He found, despite their apparent differences, that he rather liked Lelouch- the guy was funny, in his own way.

Rivalz's good mood increased significantly as he stepped inside Malory's to see a blonde- a _hot_ blonde, at that, with a bombshell figure, dressed in a modest blue skirt, matching blouse, and green jumper- sitting at one of the tables, looking bored.

Without thinking, he glanced over at Mac, who grunted and inclined his head towards the girl, who was already standing as he walked in the door, and walking right towards him.

_Oh God oh God I should have worn cologne or something,_ Rivalz thought, panicked, wishing he had changed out of his school uniform (as it was, his tie was crooked and loose, his shirt hadn't seen an iron in a week, and his slacks had a mustard stain on them from lunch).

"Hi, are you Rivalz?" she asked, tucking a blonde lock behind her ear with a friendly smile that made his pulse quicken. "I was told to leave a message for Gino Weinberg, and that barkeep over there said you could get it to him for me?"

"I… er…" Rivalz stammered, flushing, "Yeah, y-you can leave the message with me, Miss…"

"I'd rather not say," she said with a titter, offering him a coy look.

"Uh… yeah, that's cool," Rivalz said blankly, more to say something, anything coherent than for the sake of understanding.

"So can I get a pen or something?" the girl asked politely.

_ Man, her eyes are really, really blue._

Rivalz stared. "Uh… a pen?"

The girl smiled in amusement, and held up a notepad she had probably gotten from Mac. "To write down the message."

"Oh, of course," Rivalz said awkwardly, and tried to shift around to get his backup off his shoulder so he could grab a pen, but only succeeding in bumping into her instead, nearly knocking her over.

She reeled back, placing her hands against his chest to steady them both, and gave him another one of those smiles. "Whoa there cowboy."

"Uh… sorry," Rivalz managed, ducking his head so she couldn't see his embarrassed flush. God, what the hell was wrong with me… and why are her hands so soft!

She let go of him as they regained their balance, and Rivalz finally grabbed a pen and presented it to her.

He gained a small smile as a reward, and, after a minute or so of scribbling, was handed the message in question.

"Thanks for the pen," she said lightly, handing it back to him with a smile. "It was nice meeting you, Rivalz."

"Nice meeting you too!" he said, voice breaking- of course, she was already out the door when Rivalz finally mustered up the courage to reply, rendering the greeting moot.

As Rivalz shakily made his way over to the bar, Mac passed him a glass of water and grunted.

"Yes, I know she was out of my league," Rivalz said defiantly, and gulped down a large amount of water for his suddenly dry throat.

Mac's rough, weathered face grimaced into what might have been a leathery smile.

"Oh shut up," Rivalz muttered.

00000

Milly smiled widely as she exited the bar- she hadn't managed a reaction like that out of a man in, well, ever, and she wasn't even in the maid outfit. He was kind of cute too, in a darkish, boy-next-door sort of way.

Her thoughts were interrupted as her phone began to pulse from within her purse, and Milly put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

_"Ahoy, Milly!"_ Lloyd's cheery alto lost none of its lilting, off-kilter joviality even through an electronic medium.

"Ah, hello, Lloyd," Milly said in greeting. Lloyd had been instructed to call Milly for any and all dealings, to help keep up Suzaku's cover story. "Do you have the new Sakuradite batteries?"

"_They're at the shop, ready for delivery,"_ Lloyd chirped. _"At the rate your boy is going through them I've already started looking into getting another batch."_

"Thanks again for doing all this, Lloyd. Really," Milly said gratefully.

_"The technology in your friend's machine is well worth the effort of helping out," _Lloyd replied with a high laugh._ "Fascinating stuff- I've been going over some of the tests we've done and they are simply unbelievable. And any time we're able to look at the technology inside, we can't get a good read on what makes it tick- there's a big black box we can't crack."_

_ The technology…_ suddenly Milly remembered Euphemia's garbled, robotic words from that harrowing night at the airport. All that techno-wizard babble sounded like gibberish to her, but maybe Lloyd knew something about it. After all, he had been one of her grandfather's top R&D men before the war.

_ Now what were some of the things Euphie-chan said… something about a Faust Protocol… armor structure… oh, Homunculus Drive. That has to mean something._

"Hey Lloyd," Milly began slowly, trying to sound casual, "Have you ever heard of anything called a Homunculus Drive before?"

Lloyd actually fell silent at that- and that action alone concerned Milly above all others.

_"Well, now, Milly, you lied to me!"_ Lloyd finally cackled after a long moment, _"You told me old Reuben never shared any technological secrets with you!"_

"My grandfather?" Milly blinked in confusion, pressing the phone closer to her ear. "Just what does my grandfather have to do with all of this?"

_"Your grandfather was the one first theorized the possibility of a Homunculus Drive, of course!"_ Lloyd declared, sounding puzzled. _"Converting psychic impulse into a Knightmare control matrix capable of generating energy independent of the Sakuradite battery- of course, not even he could work out an engine capable of that. It violates one of the basic laws of the universe, that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. Of course, your grandfather insisted that psychic energy, or willpower, as he liked to say, was a form of energy itself."_

"So… this Homunculus Drive…" Milly said slowly, trying to understand and keep up with Lloyd's quickening tone, "Is it dangerous? To the user, I mean."

_"Well…"_ Lloyd drawled, sounding as though he was pulling dusty memories out of the dark, _"The think tank your grandfather had working with him on the project _did _hypothesize there could be adverse effects on the psyche of the user. Amplification feedback loop and all that."_

"What does that mean?" Milly pressed, biting her lip worriedly.

_ "Insanity is obviously a risk- a human being can only take so much cerebral input, and an initial connection to the Homunculus Drive could quite possibly destroy a man's mind. But individuals with the will to overcome that, your grandfather also said, could potentially use the Homunculus Drive without going insane immediately… though the risk of mental contamination would still remain,"_ Lloyd commented in his same lilting tone, an almost whimsical note in his voice as he talked about the horrific side effects of this technology.

"And what exactly does mental contamination mean?" Milly asked impatiently, nearly drawing blood from her lip with the force she was biting down with.

_"It's like suffering a brain injury,"_ Lloyd explained, either not noticing or not caring about the intensity of her tone- with him, it could be either. _"Loss of emotional control. Difficulty with memory or perhaps long term thinking, like someone can't plan things out that well anymore or something. It might not be all the time, but the momentary lapses, we postulated, could potentially grow more frequent and longer lasting, maybe even becoming permanent through prolonged usage."_

Milly frowned, feeling her stomach turn over as the implications hit her.

Events of the past month came back in a blur.

_ The first day Suzaku-sama brought home that machine, he barely even considered the full implications of what he had been doing, or even how to get basic supplies to keep his machine running. _

_ Or at the airport, when he wanted to go charging in without a plan again- Suzaku-sama is headstrong and stubborn, but even he should have known that wasn't a good plan…_

"But it can't be," Milly whispered_. Suzaku-sama's just forgetful, that's all._

But a loss of emotional control…

_ Just a few hours ago… I've never seen him so angry before. Not ever, not even when he first saw those labor camps._

"That's an awful lot of problems," she commented, trying to instill brevity in her voice and failing as she pushed away the memories, refusing to even acknowledge that horrific idea.

_ "Why do you think the project was scrapped? No one could figure out a buffer interface that would solve the problem," _Lloyd quipped. _"And besides, it's not like anyone's actually built one of these things. Technology's too far advanced- can you imagine, a way to psychically control a Knightmare Frame? Your friend's machine taking verbal commands is ludicrous enough."_

"Ah… true… this is all just theory anyway, right?" Milly said awkwardly, forcing a laugh. "How do you know so much about all this, anyway Lloyd?"

_ "I was on the think tank, of course,"_ Lloyd answered simply, as if it were obvious.

Milly blinked. "If you were on the think tank, do you think you could come up with some kind of countermeasure to the side effects? Hypothetically, of course," she added with a weak laugh.

_"A buffer system might be able to delay or reduce the effects,"_ Lloyd replied with a humming noise, _"But you know, Milly, now that I think about it, your friend the Prince's machine does show some characteristics of a Homunculus Drive powered machine…"_

"Okay, listen, Lloyd, please- keep this between us for now, alright? I don't want Suzaku-sama hearing about this discussion just yet," Milly pleaded, though her tone took a note of steel.

_ "Sure, sure. I'm going to poke around in my old notes, see if there's anything on that Drive that I can't remember off the top of my head anyways,"_ Lloyd said carelessly, probably not even noting the concern in her voice. _"Talk to you later then!"_

"Yeah," Milly said numbly, shutting the phone as she tried not to think about the conversation she just had, or its terrible implications for her master.

00000

"Oh, I always love coming to your house, Suzaku," Kaguya said cheerily, her eyes practically drinking in the Western style décor as she clapped her hands in glee. "No one will let me get any of these adorable Brittanian-style rooms at the Sumeragi estate."

_Of course not_, Suzaku thought to himself wryly. The very idea of putting anything _gaijin_ in one of the centuries old estates of the Six Houses was nothing short of blasphemy.

His own decision to build and live in a Western style house, and even employ Brittanian maids instead of Japanese serving girls was considered highly eccentric already, but his status gave him at least some leeway when not in the mainland. Besides, being reviled or mocked by the Japanese nobility wasn't something Suzaku cared that deeply about.

"Where's Kallen-chan?" Kaguya blinked, glancing around the room. "I would have thought she'd be here."

They were in the formal dining hall, a large, stately room that had been decorated to look more 'authentically Brittanian' by Milly. Surrounding the two royals were nearly all of Suzaku's household staff, excluding Milly, who was apparently running late. Euphemia stood nervously in one corner of the room, looking as though she desperately wanted to avoid messing up tonight.

Suzaku coughed, looking uncomfortable. "I uh…she's visiting her brother today. It'll just be you and me, Kaguya."

"Funny, she should have said something to me at the Student Council meeting," Kaguya murmured, a brief frown crossing her usually sunny face before it faded, and she sat down in a chair that one of the maids pulled out for her. "Oh well."

"Right, you appointed her to the Council," Suzaku said, a note of amusement in his voice as he took his own seat across from Kaguya, nodding in thanks to Euphemia, who had been the one to pull out his chair. "I can imagine she was pretty shocked."

"Oh her face was classic. Almost as good as that time I guessed her Tanabata wish," Kaguya said with a giggle.

"You never did tell me what that was," Suzaku commented lightly, allowing himself a small smile.

"It's a girl's secret," Kaguya explained primly, her tone suggesting she had said this phrase a number of time already.

Suzaku shook his head. "Right… Speaking of things like that, I heard you chased away another potential match the Imperial Council was trying to set up for you," he commented.

Kaguya smiled, her expression giving away nothing. "Oh please, there's no way that a crotchety old man like that could have been my match," she said dismissively. "The Council has to consider men of power, but I don't want just any man of power."

"Sooner or later they will force you, you know," Suzaku muttered. "They did with me."

"Oh, but you and Kallen-chan have known each other for so long! The match is perfect, politically and personally," Kaguya exclaimed, and Suzaku really had nothing more to say on the subject.

After that, the maids shuffled around, presenting the first course of the meal, a light salad and cream of mushroom soup (Suzaku, in defiance to usual traditions, had gone with a full Western style meal, which he knew Kaguya would appreciate).

As they dined, Kaguya glanced up at him with a pensive look, and, too casually, she said, "I heard from Kirihara-ojii-san that your stewardship over this land might be revoked."

Suzaku stiffened, though he drank his soup as though nothing was wrong. "Yes," he said, and nothing more.

"Do you want me to talk to the Council?" Kaguya asked politely- in most things, she would have gone ahead and done exactly what she pleased, but even Kaguya had to respect his wishes in matters such as this.

"No, that's alright," Suzaku replied, shaking his head, pausing to wipe his mouth with his napkin. "Thank you for your concern, but if the Council wants to do this, they will."

"Are you doing alright, Suzaku-kun?" Kaguya pressed, peering over at him as their soup and salad plates were taken away, traded out for the main course, Beef Wellington.

"I'm fine," Suzaku said stiffly, "Though, I am preparing a short diplomatic leave next week."

"Oh really?" Kaguya blinked. "It seems a bit sudden- are you sure it'll be alright, considering the state of things?"

"It's because of the state of things, actually," Suzaku explained, taking a slow drink of his water. "I think I need to step away from London for a bit, visit the countryside and take stock of how the rest of the country is doing."

Kaguya tilted her head, as if considering his words, before she nodded. "That makes sense," she said slowly, and offered him a smile. "You're growing into your position as a Prince and a governor, Suzaku-kun."

The praise felt hollow to Suzaku, though he smiled back. "I've had time to grow into it. The first year I was here was awful- no one listened to me. Every proposal I made, every change I tried to effect… came to nothing."

"But you kept trying," Kaguya said politely, a slight urging in her voice. "People _have _noticed your efforts, Suzaku-kun."

"Instead of noticing, they should try to follow," Suzaku said quietly, a darkness in his tone. "I heard there was another 'pacification' in rural China just last month. That doesn't sound like anyone's trying to change."

"The people there were sheltering rogue elements and building weapons to fight the local authority," Kaguya defended reluctantly, sighing as she set her utensils down, her appetite spoiled by the mention of the killings. "The Empire is old, Suzaku-kun- we won't be able to change it immediately. It takes time, and the work of all of us."

"Too much time, and in the meantime too many people die," Suzaku muttered, shaking his head in anger. "We need change now. Not in a decade or two."

"When you ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne, that's when you can really make things change," Kaguya said, reaching across the table to place a gentle hand over his own, but he pulled away.

"I don't want the throne," Suzaku all but snarled, his plate of food forgotten.

"You used to," Kaguya said faintly, meeting his fury with a tranquil, though sorrowful gaze. "Oh Suzaku-kun… you've changed so much. You used to love the Empire with all your heart."

"They betrayed everything I thought we stood for. All that talk about honor, and the Justice of Heaven… and in the end I was used to start a war which the Empire only fought out of greed," Suzaku hissed, as the memories of that day, seven years ago, returned.

_ "There's no such thing as justice, kid,"_ came the sneering voice. _"All that matters in the Empire is power."_

"I'm not condoning what was done," Kaguya said softly, her tone that of steel covered in velvet, "But what's done is done."

"Yeah," Suzaku agreed hoarsely, looking down, his fists clenched. "What's done is done."

They lapsed into silence for a minute, until Kaguya spoke again.

"So… what are you going to be for my Halloween Ball?"

Suzaku's head jerked up from his food and he frowned, giving her a severe look. Kaguya was always the master of the Mood Whiplash, but right now, he just didn't want to deal with it.

"Why do you do that?" Suzaku asked softly. "Why do you always do things like that- we were talking about something serious just a moment ago, something that means a lot to me, and then you switch over to another of your ridiculous ideas? How can you just act like things in the real world don't matter?"

Kaguya, for once, didn't laugh. She smiled, but it wasn't her usual sunny expression- rather, it was solemn, a smile that belonged on someone far older and wiser than herself.

"Because they _do_ matter," Kaguya said simply. "Because if I stop making the absurd and silly and ridiculous happen… all we have left is the real world. And that's a terrible place, don't you think?"

Suzaku was so flabbergasted he barely registered the question, meeting Kaguya's calm, seemingly ageless eyes with uncertainty. "Y-yeah…"

That solemn, sage-like smile faded, replaced by that familiar sunny grin. "Good! So, I was thinking you should do a matching costume with Kallen-chan, maybe matching plugsuits, or some other kind of anime couple theme…"

And as Kaguya rattled on and on about her idea, for once, Suzaku didn't find it so absurd.

00000

"He's not at the officer's mess?" Kallen said with a blink.

Alice, who had met her at the gate of the base, shook her head. "No, sorry Kallen-sama. He's been in his room most of the day."

"What?" Kallen said in confusion. "That's not like him."

"He got a call from someone. After that, he told everyone on base to do practice maneuvers and shut himself up in his quarters. Even Lieutenant Sancia hasn't been allowed in to see him," Alice said concernedly, as they walked towards the officer's barracks.

Now Kallen was worried. Sancia was her brother's right hand woman, the person he trusted above all else. If even she wasn't allowed to see him…

Kallen made it to her brother's room and tried the doorknob, but it clicked with the distinctive sound of a locking mechanism.

"Naoto-sama never locks his room," Alice commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Good thing I have a key," Kallen muttered, fishing the key out of her pocket. "Alice, you'd better let me handle this alone."

Alice nodded, stepping back as Kallen entered the room, which was dimly lit, and so it took her a moment to adjust to the change in lighting. This room was her brother's lounge, of sorts, where he rested and occasionally did his work, and contained a desk, a couch, a mini-fridge, and a television on the far wall.

After she did so, she spotted her brother, and fell back in shock.

"Have you… have you been drinking?" Kallen sputtered.

Naoto glanced up at her from his half-empty beer bottle, and then looked around at the four more bottles scattered on the floor. "It's possible," he admitted.

"What!" Kallen shrieked, stomping on towards him with a furious expression. Her hand cocked back to slap the bottle out of his hands, but Naoto was faster, grabbing her wrist mid swing.

"I was always better at hand to hand," Naoto chided as he got to his feet, straightening, keeping his hold on her wrist.

"What is wrong with you?" Kallen demanded, yanking her hand free. "You're cooped up in your room drinking at this hour? You've never done this before- and even refusing to see Sancia!"

Instead of answering, Naoto grabbed a single sheet of paper off the desk and passed it off to her, taking a long swig of his beer afterward.

Kallen read off the paper and her face went deathly pale. Shakily, she looked up at her brother, who nodded grimly.

"No official word has hit or will hit the media yet, but this is confirmed by the military High Command in Kyoto," Naoto explained tiredly, falling back onto the couch. "As of 0900 Tokyo time, we have confirmed reports that the Akihito Forward Base in northern China was attacked by Federation forces."

"Emperor preserve us," Kallen whispered, dropping the paper to the floor. "That means…"

"It's going to be war," Naoto agreed darkly, downing the last of his drink. "The call I got today was from High Command, General Ikari himself. They've instructed me and elements of the 75th Regiment to escort a diplomatic envoy to the Federation."

"Wait, why would the Federation accept diplomacy if they're already attacked?" Kallen exclaimed, blinking in confusion. She was a soldier, not a diplomat, but even she could see that made no sense.

"The Eurasian Senate is claiming it was an unsanctioned action, and they are even offering reparations for the dead. And the Einherjar Commander responsible for the attack is Orsus Zoktavir, the Butcher of Khardov," Naoto said quietly, and even he shuddered at the name. "Which means it is plausible, if not probable, that this was a simple matter of an overzealous commander."

"The Butcher…" Kallen leaned back against the table, shaking her head. She had heard of his reputation- most professional soldiers had, at one point or another. The town of Khardov was a city within the former country of Russia which had been a long holdout of the Unification War, or at least it had been until the Butcher paid it a visit. Now it was a ghost town. "A madman like that should never be allowed to lead men."

"I was there in Manchuria- I fought him and his people. Trust me, I know," Naoto muttered, pulling free another beer from his mini-fridge. Bad memories in Manchuria- Zoktavir's name coming up in the report made drinking all the more desirable. "But since it _was_ a madman who did the attack, we are obligated to accept the Federation's plea for diplomacy. If they wanted to attack and not show their hand, Zoktavir is the perfect soldier for the job."

"When we attacked Brittania, we didn't wait for diplomacy," Kallen noted- she had made it a point to study the Three Month War in detail while at the Imperial Academy.

"Brittania was a tiny nation in comparison to the Federation, and a war with Eurasia could take years rather than months. We can't descend into a war we're not fully sure we can win, especially with the Equatorial League ready to make themselves into a kingmaker," Naoto scowled, shaking his head. "I hate politics, but right now it's keeping us from descending into a bloodbath the likes of which the world has never seen."

"Why you?" Kallen asked curiously, settling down on the couch next to him. "Why send you to the negotiation table?"

"I'm the highest ranking military officer so close to the Federation's requested meeting point. And the 75th is… quite frankly… expendable," Naoto muttered, sipping his beer, and at Kallen's look, he waved his hand to silence her. "No, don't give me that. Both High Command and the Imperial Council consider me and my unit as something of a curious experiment, nothing more. If this turns into a trap we won't be missed as much as a more experienced and 'pure' regiment. "

Kallen sighed, unable to meet her brother's eyes any further. It always hurt to be reminded that, despite her brother's decorated record, he was still hampered by his desire to integrate non-Japanese into the military on such a level, a desire that her brother had first had because of her.

"When do you leave?" she finally asked, looking back over at him.

"Next week," Naoto said softly. "I'm leaving Rei in charge of the rest of the forces here- unofficially, of course, but you _will_ follow his commands in any battle situation, including the transfer of the prisoner Clovis to the mainland. Rei and I both have a feeling that will lead to some trouble."

"Rei?" Kallen sputtered, her ennui giving way to outrage. "You want to leave a masked man who we don't even know in charge?"

"He's a better commander than me, and I trust him. With Sancia and myself away, he's my choice, and that's final," Naoto insisted coldly.

"You don't have any authority over me," Kallen shot back, crossing her arms.

"Not in any official terms, but I am still your older brother, Kallen," Naoto reminded her, narrowing his eyes. "I'm asking you to do this for me. Please. While I'm gone, listen to him."

"Fine," Kallen finally replied, "But I won't like it."

"I never expected you would," Naoto joked weakly, chuckling.

"What about Suzaku?" Kallen questioned, frowning. "With you gone, wouldn't it be harder to hide Rei's involvement?"

"Suzaku's actually going out of town before I am, as part of his duties as governor, looking in on the other cities," Naoto answered, giving her a quizzical look. "I'm surprised you didn't know."

Kallen blushed. "Er… I actually haven't talked to him in a day or so."

"Oh?" Naoto questioned, raising an eyebrow, a real smile breaking through his gloomy expression. "Why's that?"

"No reason. Shut up!" Kallen said quickly, punching her brother in the arm.

And despite the pain, and the knowledge that, in the coming days, he and his people would probably be on the forefront of the bloodiest war mankind had yet seen, Naoto laughed.

00000

"So yeah, now the school president is looking for a witch outfit for me to wear," Shirley explained, shaking her head incredulously. "I can't believe someone so insanely helpful exists in the universe. I mean, I guess it's not so bad, it's just… weird."

Walking alongside her down the school hallway, listening patiently and looking almost pensive, was Rivalz, who replied, "Huh, never thought you'd be talking so much and so nicely about someone from the Empire."

Shirley scowled, and he amended quickly, "I mean, it's a good thing! I always thought you were a tsundere, just minus any dere, but hey, here you go making friends!"

He flinched as Shirley whirled on him, ready to deliver another dose of corporal punishment for his careless words, but before she could strike, a voice rang out.

"Hello Rivalz-kun, Shirley-san," Lelouch Lamperouge greeted politely, waving at them from down the hall as he approached.

"Hey Lelouch!" Rivalz said happily, flush with his narrow escape. "Glad I caught you! I found one of those chess matches- Sunday, around noon, if you're interested."

Lelouch blinked. "I…"

Rivalz smiled pleadingly. "Oh, come on, man. It'll be fun- I'll be with you every step of the way. And if you're really as smart as everyone says you are, you're bound to win a ton of money."

Lelouch sighed, and shrugged. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt." He was about to continue, when another voice down the hall called out to him, and he replied, "Yes, yes, coming Sensei."

He gave Shirley and Rivalz an apologetic look. "Sorry, I have to go. Shirley-san, I'll see you afterschool."

And with that, he jogged off. As they watched him go, Shirley turned towards Rivalz with a raised eyebrow.

"Since when did you two get so close?" Shirley questioned archly.

Rivalz shrugged. "We took a train ride together and ended up talking the whole way over to Commercial Street. He's a pretty cool guy, Shirley. Normal as all hell, but cool."

Shirley frowned doubtfully and said nothing.

Rivalz rolled his eyes at the expression. "Oh, come on Shirley, even you have to admit he's not as bad as you used to say he was. He's a nice guy- I mean, sure he's pretty idealistic, but hey, that's not really a sin, is it?"

Shirley sighed in acceptance.

"Alright, fine, I'll admit, he's not so bad," she said reluctantly, shaking her head. And Lelouch, she supposed, really wasn't- as a tutor he was ever patient and never overtly critical, and she had seen the way the Student Council members seemed to always rely on him. He might complain, but he never once refused C.C. or Kaguya's requests.

There were worse things than being a naïve, idealistic idiot with a nice streak, she supposed.

00000

Despite the news that a war was on the horizon, there was still plenty to do on the home front for Naoto. He had already decided early on who he was taking and who he was leaving behind- almost all of his most experiences companies were to go with him, except for _Taiyou_, which would remain here to support Kallen.

But there were still plenty of papers to sign, requisitions to be made, and the unending hunt for_ Jinchuu_ and the Brittanian Resistance to worry over. Lelouch could handle the last problem, but seeing as how his 'Rei' persona was only viable during a true battle and not before, that meant Naoto was still doing seventy five percent of the work.

And when running on barely three hours of sleep, that became rather hazardous.

Tiredly, Naoto ran a hand over his face, hoping to pull away some of the exhaustion as he sighed. He had spent most of last night tossing and turning, dreaming of war and fire- in several of them, he had found his sister's broken, battered body in the wreckage of a battle.

Kallen had participated in skirmishes and small, isolated battles before, but a war with the Federation would be different. The _Shichitennou_ would be sent out to the front lines to bolster the troops, and Kallen would be a high priority target as both the Seventh Sword and as a public figure of great moral and political value.

He could never really tell her that, but that was the real reason he had picked up drinking again- the very real fear that he could lose his baby sister in a war she was too young to be fighting.

"The car is outside waiting, Commander," Sancia announced, entering his office without preamble, breaking his reverie.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Naoto said, bowing his head as he cracked his neck, trying to get a bit of the soreness out of the muscles. As he stepped out of the office, Sancia fell in step behind him in a single practiced motion, only moving in front of him once they reached the car to pull the door open for him, which Naoto accepted gratefully.

As he settled into his seat and watched Sancia take the seat next to him, Naoto remarked idly, "Isn't it Brittanian custom to have the man open the door for the woman?"

"I would assume the Imperial culture overrides Brittanian custom," Sancia replied easily, without missing a beat, "And besides, you outrank me, sir."

Naoto snorted. So many strange customs and differences- Naoto had been raised differently than most Japanese nobility, his mother's affair with a Brittanian changing part of her views about the world and how things should be, but he was still vastly more comfortable with his own culture than any others.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, until they reached their destination, a police station about twenty minutes from the military base.

That had been one of Lelouch's ideas, really- use the regular police to bring in the suspect rather than the military police, in order to lower suspicion from Luciano that they were onto him.

He and Sancia entered the police station without ceremony, though almost everyone stopped and paused to stare at them in full uniform.

Naoto walked straight towards the officer working the desk, whose eyes were wide as saucers, and spoke. "Commander Kouzuki Naoto, here to see a prisoner. I've already told the details to your superiors."

"Er… yes, right away sir," the policeman said hurriedly, and picked up the phone, murmuring a few quiet instructions before gesturing toward a door on the left hand side. "It's right through there- do you need an escort?"

"No, this is matter of Imperial security, officer- as far as you and everyone else here is concerned, we were never here," Naoto said briskly, a note of ice in his voice.

It worked, and the officer swallowed, nodding frantically, and he and Sancia proceeded alone into the interrogation wing of the police station, saying nothing until they reached the security door, which needed outside approval to be unlocked.

As they waited, Sancia spoke.

"I heard you were drinking again, sir," Sancia said softly, breaking the silence, stepping behind him, arms crossed behind her back, her expression betraying nothing.

"I haven't fallen off the wagon, Catherine," Naoto assured her, as he glanced over his shoulder at her, using Sancia's first name to convey how serious he was- in the years they'd been working together, he had only used it three times before."I just… between hearing the Butcher's name again and knowing we're at the tipping point of a war… I just needed something to take the edge off."

Before they could speak again, the security door buzzed, and swung open automatically, to reveal the prisoner.

"Colonel Jacob Madd, I assume," Naoto said briskly, tossing the file they had on him carelessly onto the metal table. The room was standard for interrogations- plain, unadorned gray tile, well-lit, and a one way window for observation connecting to the other room which held video and audio recording equipment.

"Former colonel," the man in question corrected. He was a squat, bald-headed and unpleasant looking man with beady black eyes that gave off an eerie impression. Madd was dressed in a concealing overcoat and collared shirt and slacks, utterly nondescript. He smiled a toothy smile. "Though I assume you already knew that, Commander."

Naoto stared back without rising to the bait. He was too experienced a soldier at this point to let an interrogation fall into the prisoner's pace at this early stage. He took the seat across from Madd and folded his hands.

"Sancia, read me off the charges against the former colonel," Naoto instructed calmly.

"Yes sir. Three counts of possession of contraband material with intention to distribute, along with charges of blackmail, extortion, resisting arrest, and even assaulting an officer of the law," Sancia noted tonelessly.

"A man's got a right to privacy in his own home," Madd responded with a grin.

"Quite. Well, the Empire has the right to question anyone suspected of being involved with terrorist activities," Naoto shot back, his tone remaining pleasant. "Which just so happens to be you right now."

Madd said nothing, still smiling.

Naoto stood up, fixing Madd with a cold stare. "Listen, Colonel, I don't really have time for games. You sold the guns and other material to a group of terrorists headed up by one Luciano Bradley- I want to know everything you know about him."

"Never heard of him," came the predictable reply, as Madd grinned a little wider.

"Sure you have," Naoto said smoothly, folding his hands as he took the seat across from the colonel, Sancia standing next to the door. "Colonel, I'll be honest, we're going to have your financial records in a matter of hours, and if I find a single trace that leads back to Bradley… well, the penalty for aiding and abetting terrorists is death by firing squad."

Madd looked singularly unimpressed. "My records are clean- I run a legitimate business, and terrorism is bad for that."

Naoto snorted, drumming his fingers against the table. "I'll bet."

"Oh come now, Commander," Madd said slowly, his tone oily and slithering, "We're the same, you and I. Soldiers and arms dealers, we both need battles."

Naoto met his gaze and rose up out of the chair without a word.

"Oh, you're angry now? You won't acknowledge the truth that you are a man who needs war, just like myself?" Madd questioned with a chortling laugh, his grin threatening to split his face.

A grin which faded a few seconds later as Naoto calmly, without breaking his gaze, shot Madd in the knee.

The shorter man howled in agony as he fell off the chair and onto the cold tile, clutching at his wounded knee with choked, breathless gasps, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.

Even Sancia looked taken aback by the sudden onset of violence from the normally affable Naoto, though she stayed silent.

"Don't play games with me, Madd," Naoto snarled, grabbing the man by the collar and hauling him up to his feet, slamming him into a wall, pressing his gun underneath the man's chin. "Because right now, I'm sort of out of patience, and I have no qualms about ending your life right here and now if you prove to be useless- or worse, an obstacle."

"I…" Madd's words were broken by an agonized sob.

"Now talk!" Naoto roared, slamming him into the wall again.

"O-okay," Madd managed, voice choked with a mixture of pain and fear. "I'll tell you."

Naoto relaxed his hold, but didn't release him. "Where is he!" Naoto shouted in fury.

"I don't know where he is. He came to me- he had recommendations, a reputation amongst… my crowd," Madd said through hissed gasps, "He paid all in cash, no wire transfers."

Naoto pressed the gun deeper into his throat with a significant look, and Madd swallowed.

"He does a lot of dealings with Reaper, though, that I know," Madd said quickly, gasping loudly as his eyes began to glaze over. "Please, I think I need a doctor…"

"You'll get your doctor when I get my answer," Naoto said coldly. "He deals in Reaper?"

"As far as I know, he IS the Reaper trade," Madd insisted, hissing in agony. "All the deals come from him. That's why he came so highly recommended- practically every syndicate and gang out there has either been forced to work under him or has cut a deal with him. And that's all I know, I swear!"

Naoto stared at him a moment longer, then finally, without looking back at her, said, "Sancia, tell the police we're done here, and that the prisoner could use a doctor."

He turned and walked out of the room without another word, Sancia following. Behind them several uniformed officers went running into the open room and the sounds of the screaming prisoner, though no one stopped Naoto on his way out.

It was only when they got back into the car and were seated next to each other that Sancia finally spoke.

But first, she slapped Naoto, full on across the face, with a resounding blow.

Naoto stared at her unflinchingly after the blow, rubbing his cheek with a dark look.  
"I could have you court-martialed for that," he said icily.

"You won't, sir," Sancia said, though her tone was uncharacteristically shaky. "You crossed the line back there, sir. This is not Task Force Four, and we are not in the special-forces anymore. We can't do things like that."

"We needed the information," Naoto responded tonelessly. "You know guys like Madd won't talk unless they think they're dying, Sancia. It's like with that Vietnamese drug lord we had to take out three years ago- the interrogation had to be fast and dirty."

"The Kouzuki Naoto I knew then was a good soldier, maybe even a great soldier," Sancia said quietly, without meeting his gaze. "But he was naïve. It was only after that drug lord… when we went to Manchuria to hunt down the Butcher…"

"Don't," Naoto bit out, clenching his fists. "Don't you dare bring that up. Those kids… what we did to those kids…"

Sancia sighed, and, hesitantly, placed a hand over his.

"You decided things had to change after that day. You built the 75th out of outcasts and veritable freaks when you got promoted to Commander… you changed, Naoto. You changed when you decided that this system, this Empire, had to. But what you did today…" she paused, and drew her hand away. "That was the old Naoto. The soldier who shot first and never asked questions."

Naoto took a deep breath after she finished, shutting his eyes tightly. She was right, of course. Before the incident in Manchuria… before his own government ordered him to shoot and kill women and children in a village that was supposed to have been concealing Zoktavir's troops… he had been a different man. Patriotic, loyal, and blind.

God, he remembered a girl he found, after the massacre (it could never be called a battle). She was younger than Kallen was at the time. A young man who might have been her older brother had died perched over her corpse, trying to shield her from the bullets.

That was around the time he first started drinking alone, at night.

"Thank you for that," Naoto finally said, his voice unsteady as he opened his eyes and met Sancia's own. "Thank you."

"Anytime, sir," Sancia replied reservedly, though there was a hint of warmth in her voice.

00000

"So we're going to see another of my siblings?" Euphemia asked in wonderment. She was, for once, out of the old-fashioned, modest maid's outfit and in a long yellow skirt, white blouse, and short jacket (clothes Milly had apparently insisted Suzaku buy for her a while back for occasions such as this).

"Your brother," Suzaku confirmed softly, pushing his sunglasses back up his nose, hoping his sunglasses and more 'teenager-appropriate' clothes would conceal his identity. Today he wore a light blue windbreaker, a dark shirt with some kind of design emblazoned on the front, and jeans.

The two of them were walking through the park, both of them in more casual street clothes to avoid drawing any undue attention to themselves.

"Did you just find him too?" Euphemia pressed excitedly, grabbing onto his arm as she peered up at him.

Despite himself, Suzaku flushed at the contact, and his voice stammered slightly as he spoke. "Er… no… he's in hiding, like you, and I've known where he is for a while. But it's dangerous for you two to be together right now."

_Because if anyone finds out you're connected with the Caliburn and you're around Lelouch, they might start hunting after him_, Suzaku thought to himself. And if his best friend got hurt because of something Suzaku had done… well, that was just something he couldn't live with.

And for the time being, within the mansion, under his protection, Suzaku could keep Euphemia safe. There was no need to break the status quo.

But if something were to happen…

Suzaku swallowed, throat tight as he turned back towards Euphemia, stopping as he placed his hands on his shoulders, removing his sunglasses so he could meet her eyes to convey how serious he was.

"Listen, Euphie… I know you must be excited, but you can't meet with him directly. Today, at least. I just want to talk to him for right now, alone, and make sure that if something happens to me, he knows to come get you as soon as possible," Suzaku instructed quietly, feeling a pang of sorrow for outright forbidding a girl who had no memory of any family from meeting her brother.

Euphemia bit her lip and looked away.

"Please, Euphie," Suzaku pleaded, bringing her gaze back up at him. "Please promise me you won't follow me into the clearing. Just… stay behind for now. Do it for me."

After a moment, Euphemia sighed, and replied, "Okay Suzaku-sama. For you."

Suzaku smiled in relief. "Thank you, Euphie."

He released her, and turned away, putting his sunglasses back on his face. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Stay there, okay?"

"I'm not helpless," Euphemia pouted, but nodded along, planting herself on the park bench to wait. She only sat there a moment, however, when her attention was caught by a black cat with a distinctive distinctive black mark scar on its face striding along the back of the bench.

"Oooh, kitty!" Euphemia said happily, chasing on after the cat.

"I said stay… oh, whatever," Suzaku muttered, and gave her a lingering glance and a smile, and then pushed into the small clearing in the park which he and Lelouch had always promised to meet.

Lelouch, for his part, was already waiting, leaning against the aged old oak tree on the far side of the clearing with an expectant gaze.

"You're late," he noted dryly, tapping the watch on his wrist.

"Sorry," Suzaku said with a careless shrug. "I got tied up."

Lelouch gave a soft 'humph' noise in response. "I guess I should have expected by now that punctuality is not part of your repertoire."

Suzaku rolled his eyes. "Right, right, mister manners."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean I'm pretty sure one time we dumped paint on top of your etiquette teacher for being a snooty bastard and had to avoid your mother for at least three days," Suzaku reminded him with a grin.

Lelouch's face had a small smile of its own at the memory. "Okay, fine, so I'm not the paragon of good manners either."

The two of them smiled for a moment longer, before Lelouch spoke again. "So, have you made up with Kallen-san?"

Suzaku avoided his gaze, his cheeks dusted with the light red of embarrassment. "Not quite yet. Between preparing for my trip out of town and her schoolwork, neither of us has had a good chance to really talk. I mean, we see each other, but…"

Lelouch chuckled, and Suzaku stopped speaking to glare at him. "It's not funny, shut up."

"It's a little funny," Lelouch said, amused.

Suzaku scowled.

"Alright, so, what did you call me all the way out here for?" Lelouch asked, deciding to spare his friend any more embarrassment for now.

"So, Lelouch, I was thinking," Suzaku began, "Um… with all the things that are happening lately, between this _Jinchuu_ and the increasing terrorist activity… I was thinking, maybe you can relax a little."

"Relax?" Lelouch blinked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean… you can go see Nunnally, for example," Suzaku said, his voice quickening in pace as he pressed forward excitedly.

Lelouch, however, did not share his enthusiasm, and his face, in fact, paled with what might have been shame. "N-no, I can't," Lelouch managed hoarsely, shaking his head.

"But Lelouch…" Suzaku began, but was cut off.

"I said I can't!" Lelouch said loudly, his voice breaking. "So please, don't."

Frowning, Suzaku nodded, deciding to try a different track. "Okay… but I mean… if something were to happen to me… I mean, I'll be going out of town for a while, and there's always a chance I'll be recalled back to the homeland…"

Lelouch gave him a searching look, frowning. "Is something wrong? Is this about the skirmish over in China with the Federation?"

Suzaku shook his head. He had barely even thought of that incident. "No… but I've just been thinking… without me, Nunnally needs you. And… say if I was able to find another of your siblings, like Euphie… I mean, if I found them, I could help them, but if I wasn't around then you could…"

"You won't find Euphie," Lelouch said quietly, his tone definitive.

Suzaku blinked. "Lelouch, I know it's been awhile, but she is still alive." And somewhere in this park right now…

"Trust me, she won't be found," Lelouch said distantly, refusing to meet his eyes.

Suzaku sighed. "Please, Lelouch, just… I want you to come by my mansion if anything should happen to me, or I can't return to Brittania for any reason. There are things there I need you to have." _Among them, your sister._ "So promise me you will. On our friendship, promise me you will come to the mansion."

Lelouch didn't speak for a long while, and Suzaku feared even this plea would fail. But, finally, he spoke.

"For you," Lelouch said quietly.

Suzaku's face broke out into a relieved smile.

"Thank you, Lelouch," he said gratefully, before adding carelessly, "Besides, like I said, it's not like anyone's looking for you anymore."

00000

"Fenette. Welcome," Cornelia greeted politely, inclining her head as she extended a gloved hand out to the younger woman. She was dressed in a long military coat and business suit and skirt.

"Commander," Shirley replied, making an awkward, unsure salute as she glanced around the darkened warehouse.

"Walk with me, Fenette," Cornelia said quietly, turning on the spot and striding up a flight of metal grate stairs and up to a walkway, with Shirley following obediently behind.

It took a few moments for Cornelia to start speaking again, as they reached the top of the stairs. "Do you know the story of Marianne the Flash, Fenette?" she questioned, without glancing backwards.

Shirley nodded. "Yes ma'am." Most girls who grew up around the same time she did in Brittania had- a common woman who had so impressed the Emperor with her valor and skill she became one of his wives. It was practically a fairytale.

"Empress Marianne earned a reputation as the first true Knightmare pilot Ace in the world, using the experimental prototype Knightmare Frame Ganymede," Cornelia continued, her boots clacking against the metal grate as they continued down the walkway. "Ganymede, as you might know, was the first modern Knightmare Frame, and was developed in Brittania by the Ashford foundation."

"I've heard this story," Shirley said politely, unsure of why she was getting a history lesson. "The Ganymede was retired after the De Dannan type Knightmare Frame was developed, wasn't it?"

"True, but there's a part of Marianne the Flash's story that is only known to a few," Cornelia responded, halting on the walkway. This area was only dimly lit by a single overhead lamp, and Shirley could barely see past the edge of the railing.

"Which is, ma'am?" Shirley pressed, feeling a tad impatient with the seemingly pointless story which she was being told.

"We all knew a war with Japan was coming," Cornelia said distantly, lost in old memories, "The Sidhe variants were being put into production, and the Ashford Foundation was looking for advances into the next generation of KMF technology. They created a prototype Fifth Generation Knightmare a month after the war began, and Empress Marianne volunteered as a test pilot."

"A Fifth Gen… but, Brittania hadn't even started on its Fourth Generation," Shirley interrupted, confused. Ever since she started working as a pilot, she had started brushing up more and more on the technical aspects of Knightmare Frames.

"We were going to back-engineer from the prototype to standardize our Fourth Gen KMFs and get them on the front lines. However, the war ended too soon for those plans to come to anything," Cornelia finished, a bitter note in her voice.

"What happened to the Fifth Generation Knightmare?" Shirley questioned curiously.

Cornelia's dark expression faded, and she snapped her fingers, the lights coming on throughout the warehouse.

"Its right here," she replied, a note of satisfaction in her voice as she gestured to the side, where a Knightmare Frame stood like a sleeping god.

Shirley stared, open mouthed at the machine. It was… beautiful. So much sleeker and sharper than her boxy old De Dannan, which now seemed like a woefully outdated piece of equipment in comparison.

The head was triangular rather than the traditional rounded shape of a normal Knightmare Frame, the 'tip' of the triangle forming a chin, featuring a black visor over its 'face'. The rest of the body was slender, the design seemingly being intentionally feminine, with hands that ended in sharpened claws rather than traditional fingers. Attached at the elbow section of the Knightmare's arms were two blade-like appendages that, Shirley guessed, could be moved forward to become blades on the arms.

The entire body was cobalt blue with sharp silver detailing, and the only decoration was a single gold eagle on its chest.

"The AF-50 _Amalthea_," Cornelia said proudly, planting her hands on the railing as she stared at it alongside Shirley with a wistful look. "Reuben Ashford had a passing fondness for astrology, and the moons of Jupiter were his favorites. I returned to the capitol for a few days after the official ceasefire, and before I left to return to Scotland I took it with me, so Japan wouldn't get their hands on the technology."

"It's… amazing," Shirley breathed, and, reluctantly, tore her gaze from the machine and back towards the commander. "But if you've had this thing the entire time, why haven't you used it?"

Cornelia's wistful expression faded into a more conflicted look. "The _Amalthea _was incomplete. Like I said, the Ashford Foundation thought we had more time. It took seven years for us to even assemble the necessary parts to finish it. But even incomplete, someone could have potentially piloted it, but it was… dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Shirley blinked. Piloting was always dangerous.

"The first time Marianne the Flash tested the_ Amalthea_ she broke three ribs and severely damaged her arterial heart valve due to the stress of using the machine," Cornelia explained quietly. "The best Knightmare pilot the Brittanian Empire had to offer… and she almost killed herself with this beast."

Shirley's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked back over at the once beautiful looking Knightmare Frame with a newfound sense of trepidation.

"Reuben Ashford quickly came up with safety measures to protect the pilot, but those were the parts that remained incomplete until just recently," Cornelia continued, obviously trying to reassure her, and she even managed a smile.

"And are you…" Shirley said slowly, trying not to presume too much, "Are you asking me to pilot it?"

Cornelia nodded, just once, saying nothing.

"Why me?" Shirley pressed, confused. "Gino taught me everything I know about a Knightmare Frame, and you, Commander, are a great pilot yourself…"

"Weinberg and myself have duties outside of piloting- neither of us can afford to put ourselves in the thick of the fighting all the time," Cornelia replied. "But more importantly… I've heard about your father, Fenette. That you fight for a personal reason, one that drives you, that pushes you to fight on when others would give up. It's made you a damn good pilot that can match up to any of our most trained and experienced professional soldiers."

Shirley tilted her head as she met Cornelia's gaze, still unsure.

"I understand that feeling, Fenette," Cornelia said softly, moving closer until she was standing just in front of the younger woman, and extended her hand out, palm up. There, sitting at the center of her palm, was a Knightmare Frame activation key. "And that's why I know I can trust you with this weapon."

"Thank you, Commander," Shirley said quietly, taking the key and saluting. "I won't let you down."

Cornelia met her gaze and, after a moment, saluted back. "I hope not, Fenette." The gesture of respect lasted a little longer, and then Cornelia relaxed, and spoke again. "Now, before I let you start testing the_ Amalthea_ for yourself, Darlton said you had been following a lead on _Jinchuu_ that you should discuss with me ASAP."

Shirley blinked, still trying to wrap her head around being handed the keys to what was likely the most powerful weapon in the BLF arsenal, and, stutteringly, replied, "Uh… oh yes, sorry. During that first incident with Jinchuu in the Underground, I encountered a Brittanian boy my age who was neither unaffiliated with us or the Japanese military. His name is Lelouch Lamperouge-"

Cornelia's head whipped towards her so fast that Shirley stopped speaking and fell back a step. The Commander's expression, normally so stately and regal, had warped into a vicious expression of hatred.

"Say that name again," Cornelia said slowly.

"Uh…"

"SAY IT AGAIN!" Cornelia shrieked, grabbing Shirley by the front of her shirt and pulling the younger woman face to face with her.

"Princess!" came a sharp, rough voice, and General Darlton hurried along the walkway behind them, quickly pulling Shirley and Cornelia away from each other and shooting the Commander a severe look. "Remember yourself."

Cornelia panted harshly, still looking furious, but, after visibly struggling to contain her fury, she finally gave Shirley an apologetic look. "My apologies, Fenette. I shouldn't have lost control like that. Please, continue."

"T-t-that's okay," Shirley managed shakily, smoothing out her shirt. "I've uh… been keeping an eye on Lamperouge since that day, trying to ascertain if he has any connection to this _Jinchuu,_ but so far my investigation has revealed nothing."

"Of course it wouldn't," Cornelia snapped irritably, drawing another warning look from Darlton. After nodding in reluctant acceptance of her second in command's silent warning, she continued in a calmer tone, "Lelouch Lamperouge is a coward and a traitor. He would never fight openly like this _Jinchuu_."

"I… I'm sorry, ma'am, what has he done?" Shirley asked, bewildered. "As far as I can tell he's just a teenage boy."

"He's not just any teenage boy, Fenette," Cornelia all but snarled, though her voice was that of a controlled fury, "Lamperouge is the original maiden name of Marianne Vi Brittania, Empress of Brittania. He thought he was clever, using his mother's name as a disguise."

"Wait… Marianne the Flash is Lelouch's mother?" Shirley blurted out, eyes wide as saucers. "Wouldn't that make him…"

"The Seventeenth Prince of Brittania, Lelouch Vi Brittania," Cornelia finished, narrowing her eyes. "He disappeared, and went underground… but I always knew he would resurface. And this time, Schneizel can't protect him from me."

"Protect him, Commander?" Shirley started feeling like she was nothing but a sounding board for Cornelia, constantly asking questions to keep the conversation moving forward.

Before Cornelia could speak again, Darlton cut in with a cough. "Fenette," Darlton said firmly, "We want you to intensify your investigation of Lelouch Lamperouge. Now that you know his true identity, it may give you greater insight into his activities."

"And," Cornelia snarled, drawing attention back towards her, "When you learn everything he knows about _Jinchuu _and his activities, you are to terminate him for treason against the Brittanian Empire."

"T-terminate? You want me to kill Lelouch?" Shirley stammered.

Cornelia reached into her gun holster, and pulled free the service pistol, handing it to Shirley butt first.

"Take this gun, put it to his heart, and before you shoot, tell him that this is for Euphie," she said slowly, her tone now that of measured hate. At Shirley's confusion, she continued, "Fenette, trust me, Lelouch Lamperouge is the biggest traitor in our history. The surrender, the Blood Sunday riots that took your father's life, all the pain of the past seven years can be traced back to that one man."

Cornelia paused, and fixed her gaze on the younger woman. "But if you want me to make it perfectly clear, in terms I know you, of all people, can understand… Lelouch Lamperouge killed my family, Fenette. He killed the people I loved most in the world just as surely as the Empire killed your father. And that's why I need him dead."

Shirley said nothing for a long, long while, simply staring at Cornelia, and then the gun, in total shock.

"Oi, Commander! General! Meeting's about to start!"

Gino's familiar tenor startled Shirley out of her contemplation, and before she could react Cornelia had already pressed the gun into her hands and whispered into her ear, "Please, Fenette. As someone who knows the pain of losing those you love."

And then the Commander pulled away, and called out, "Thank you, Weinberg. We will join you shortly."

Shirley listened to the sound of the Commander's boots on the metal grating begin to fade away, and Darlton started on past her as well, though he clapped her on the shoulder with a sympathetic look as he brushed past her, leaving Shirley alone with her thoughts.

00000

Cornelia and Darlton walked in silence towards the conference room that had been built in one corner of the building. It was only when they had gotten out of earshot of Shirley that Cornelia finally spoke.

"Okay, say it," Cornelia said quietly, shutting her eyes. "I put too much of myself into Fenette right there, and let personal feelings compromise the mission and our organization."

"If you know all that, Commander, then there's no need for me to say anything," Darlton replied politely, his tone reserving judgment.

"But Lelouch is alive, Darlton, and living free," Cornelia continued angrily, "I let him get away once, because Schneizel convinced me to help cover up the truth, and by the time I could have done anything else he had gone."

"You've asked a teenage girl to potentially compromise her cover identity over a personal vendetta that has no tactical or strategic value to our goals," Darlton rumbled, though his tone of voice was not a rebuke. "You're too close to this, Princess."

Their conversation was halted after that, as they reached the door to the conference room, where Guilford stood outside waiting at attention.

"Everyone is awaiting your arrival, your highness," Guilford said politely, bowing.

"Thank you Guilford," Cornelia said quietly, mentally adjusting for the meeting, pushing aside her thoughts of anger and vengeance as she opened the door.

"Nelly!"

Cornelia practically flinched at the nickname, eyes widening as a familiar face stood up from across the conference room table, waving energetically.

"Nonette," Cornelia greeted, her tone shaky, like someone encountering their worst fear made manifest, "I thought we agreed you wouldn't call me that anymore."

"Eh, I decided that promise was stupid," Nonette replied cheerily, and unceremoniously pulled Cornelia into a headlock. "Now come on, let's get a smile on that face."

_ This is not helping my reputation,_ Cornelia thought despairingly, as she jerked free of the headlock, shaking her hair out and fixing Nonette with a glare. "There'll be time to reminisce after we get done with this meeting," she said icily, scowling.

"Yeah, yeah," Nonette said, rolling her eyes as she fell back into her seat, propping her legs up on the table.

Cornelia sighed, and took her own seat, with Darlton at her right side. "Guilford, if you would please?"

"These are the dossiers on the key members of the colonial government," Guilford said stately, moving around and passing out a stack of vanilla folders to the rest of the table, "Study them well."

"But we know who these people are," Nonette complained, crossing her arms behind her head with a bored look, glancing over at Cornelia. "Come on, Nelly, you can't be serious."

Cornelia flushed slightly at the nickname again, but remained firm, shooting the other woman a glare.

"Read," she said slowly, her tone taking an edge. "Every bit of information could be useful."

"Prince Kururugi Suzaku, age seventeen," Nonette muttered grudgingly, picking up the first folder. "Crown Prince of the Empire… and kind of a looker. He has nice eyes."

Cornelia sighed. "Not relevant, Nonette."

"The Prince is purportedly an idealist," Claudio cut in, eyes still glancing over the dossier even as he spoke. "He's led a number of agendas aimed at pursuing reforms to the system… most of which have failed, meaning either he has very little support, political clout, or is just all talk."

"In other words, he's mostly inconsequential, except maybe for use as a hostage," Dorothea concluded briskly, her mouth set in a frown as she turned towards Cornelia. "Commander, he was fostered in Brittania for a time- what did you make of him?"

"I only saw him a few times, and never outside of public functions," Cornelia replied, her expression distracted with remembrance, "He was… arrogant. Brash. And proud, proud of his empire above all else."

"Well something must have changed if he's gone all humanitarian for underdogs," Gino commented airily. "But if he's not the issue…"

"Then it's the real power here, Commander Kouzuki Naoto," Nonette finished, pulling out the second dossier with a whistle. "Also not bad looking. Seems to be a trend."

"Seriously Nonette, not relevant," Cornelia growled, tapping her finger impatiently against the table. "Can someone please stick to the business at hand?"

There was a cough, bringing all eyes gathered around the table towards Darlton's grizzled face, and Cornelia gave him a grateful look for steering the conversation away from personal appearance.

"The Kouzuki's are a powerful noble family, though they are a tad nouveau rich compared to say, the Six Houses," Darlton said calmly, without even opening his dossier. "Their power stems from control of several key Sakuradite mines around Mt. Fuji, which were found on their ancestral land at the turn of the 20th century. They are considered one of the families just a step or two below the reigning Six Houses in wealth and influence. The current Head of the household is his mother, Kouzuki Michiko."

"I thought she was married." Gino blinked in confusion. "She didn't take her husband's name?"

"Sometimes, if the wife's house is higher in status, it is known for the husband to take the wife's ancestral name instead," Guilford informed him. "And her husband, Kouzuki's father, also passed away in the third year of their marriage in a plane crash, so she would have had to go back to her Clan anyway."

"And so a few years later a Brittanian swoops in and comforts the still grieving widow, leaving behind a half-blood child in one of the most powerful families in the Empire?" Gino asked carelessly, raising an eyebrow with a whistle, which drew an irritated look from every female at the table, plus Kewell.

"Yes, that's about the rough of it- the man's name was Lord Matthew Stadtfeld, or former lord, I should say," Darlton rumbled, resting his cheek lightly against his closed fist, elbow propped up on the table. "He was banished from court for his little dalliance and stripped of his titles and incomes."

"The circumstances of politics long past are of no use to us," Cornelia said dismissively, her tone somewhere between a growl and a snarl. "I wanted you to look at his military record, not his parents."

There was a brief silence as pages were shuffled around in the dossiers, before the table returned to the original purpose of the meeting.

"Graduated after four years at the Imperial Academy in Kyoto in the top ten percent of his class, saw two years on the front lines in Burma as a Lieutenant, another three as a Captain in a Special Forces unit that saw action in over a dozen different countries, and finally being promoted to Commander of his own regiment less than a year ago," Nonette read off, whistling appreciatively. "Boy's on a fast track, a bred and groomed officer."

"His sister is going to marry the Crown Prince, after all, not to mention her status as one of the _Shichitennou_," Dorothea commented with a bored shrug. "Still, his record is impressive, even if helped by politics. The man seems like a skilled, if traditional tactician."

"Funny," Claudio noted, raising an eyebrow as he reached towards the laptop hooked up to the projector, tapping it a few times to bring up a word document report. "We managed to obtain a copy of the after action report of the airport incident, and all of it is decidedly against Kouzuki's previous tactics. Splitting up your forces into several teams for a coordinated strike, delivering an unmanned Knightmare into a hot battlefield, and even deceiving your opponent into willingly dividing his forces as if of his own volition… brilliant tactics."

"Too brilliant," Cornelia muttered, looking suspicious. "This is a plan that takes an incredible degree of cunning, more than this Kouzuki has shown according to records. At our last encounter, his attack was more reliant on superior firepower and numbers than tactics."

"I once considered the possibility of unorthodox Knightmare delivery onto a battlefield for an emergency situation," Darlton murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "It was a thought exercise I did with… no, couldn't be."

"What was that?" Cornelia asked sharply.

"Nothing, your highness," Darlton said quickly, shaking his head with a cough. "Just an idle thought."

Cornelia eyed him suspiciously for a moment, before she accepted his answer and turned away, giving a sharp nod towards Guilford to continue speaking.

"I'd like to move back for a second and speak on the matter of the regiment that Kouzuki commands, if I may, ladies and gentlemen," the bespectacled knight said quietly, pushing his glasses up on his face as he furrowed his brow. "The last several pages of Kouzuki's dossier are an intelligence report estimating the exact assets and command structure of the 75th Armored Regiment."

"Assets include an estimated two hundred Shinran Knightmares each with a pilot, five hundred technical support staff, three thousand regular Imperial Army infantry, fifty tanks, twenty pieces of artillery and about a hundred transport vehicles, including one super-heavy Naginata-class command vehicle," Claudio read off gravely, frowning. "Add this to the existing occupational forces and that's an enemy well above our capability to fight head on."

"We're not going to fight them head on," Cornelia replied calmly, and gestured towards the folders. "Your third and fourth dossiers contain profiles on the final two figures of importance- Kouzuki Kallen and Sumeragi Kaguya."

"It's amazingly careless that the Empire lets two highly important public figures such as the Crown Prince and this Princess Kaguya live so far away from the homeland," Kewell commented, speaking up for the first time.

"It's well known that the Six Houses are the real choosers of power, not blood. Since the death of the main Imperial line and the rise of the Six Houses which were all originally branch families, primogeniture has been less important than influence," Claudio replied, leaning back into his chair as he glanced over at Kewell. "If they were to lose both of those children then the Six Houses would simply 'suggest' an heir to the Emperor, another of their number, who is also related to the current Emperor, if not directly, thanks to centuries of intermarriage. The risk is minimal, in reality."

"That's still pretty cold," Gino muttered.

"That's politics, blondie," Nonette said sweetly, resting her chin on the backs of her folded hands as she flashed him a smile. "I take it we're not following your brother's lead, Nelly, and trying to take these kids hostage."

"Our ultimate goal is freedom, not war," Cornelia said with a shake of her head. "We harm someone of royal blood and we're asking for a blood feud that will leave the public begging the Imperial Council to burn Brittania to the ground before they let us win back our freedom."

"So we're not going to go after their leaders, just convince them to leave?" Gino muttered, raising an eyebrow. "What are we going to do, ask them nicely?"

"We're not going to ask," Nonette said dangerously, with a fierce grin.

"It's actually rather simple- we must show the Empire that, ultimately, their interest here is too costly, and force them to relinquish their hold," Guilford finally answered politely. "Everything we do is aimed towards that."

"And our first step will be to free Prince Clovis La Brittania from the grip of Japan," Cornelia said slowly, nodding towards Claudio, who tapped the laptop again to bring up a different image. "We are going to mount a rescue operation. Guilford will explain in more detail."

"According to our sources, Commander Kouzuki and a large portion of his forces will be leaving London for a diplomatic mission to the Federation around the time when Prince Clovis is scheduled to be transferred," Guilford explained slowly, "And, the governor, Prince Suzaku, has also scheduled a diplomatic leave of his own for the Brittanian countryside in that same week- if ever there was an opportunity to strike, it would be then."

"A hit on a convoy, huh? As long as we know the route, shouldn't be too much of a problem," Gino murmured, crossing his arms behind his head with a confident look.

"Agreed. We'll begin planning the assault once we have the full details of the security, time, and route they plan to use," Cornelia said briskly. "Now, are there any other matters we should discuss before we dismiss?"

"Actually," Gino called out, drawing all eyes around the table towards himself as he pulled out a small piece of notepad paper, "There is something else. Someone left a message with one of my men, Rivalz, earlier this week."

He passed the note along to Cornelia, who read it slowly, as if in disbelief, her eyebrows raising higher and higher as she went down the page. Finally, she looked up at Gino with a piercing stare. "And you're sure?" she questioned.

"I gave _Jinchuu_ that contact information myself and told him to look for me at Malory's, so yes, I'd say it's fairly accurate," Gino agreed, nodding. "It took him longer than I thought to reach out though."

"So we finally have contact from the mysterious _Jinchuu_," Nonette murmured contemplatively, leaning over the table to peer at the note herself. "What does he want?"

"He's planning a strike against the labor camp factory in Dudley," Cornelia explained, pulling the note away and giving Nonette a reproachful look. "He wishes for our support in getting the prisoners out of the facility and into hiding. He doesn't need military support, just our network to help these people."

"Dudley, huh?" Dorothea raised an eyebrow. "If this is for real, that could be a major windfall for us- as one of the first factories, it has a lot of political prisoners and former military held within. The kinds of people we can use."

"I know it's uncertain if this is really him, or if it is, if we can really trust him," Gino began, knowing where the conversation would be headed next, "But I'd like to volunteer my own cell for this mission."

"It's risky," Nonette reminded him, pursing her lips into a frown.

"But _Jinchuu_ is a wild card that we cannot ignore," Darlton rumbled, inclining his head in a gesture of respect towards Gino's offer. "If we rebuff him here, we may not get another chance at contact."

"If you know the risks, you may proceed," Cornelia allowed, a hint of reluctance in her voice, "However, you cannot take Fenette. I need her here."

"Done," Gino agreed, nodding her head. "Besides, I'm sure she's got plenty on her mind already."

00000

"Seasons don't fear the Reaper, nor do the wind, the sun and the rain," the man pleaded, smiling toothily as he held up the syringe like an offering or a prayer. He was ragged and filthy, his eyes sunken like a corpse. "Come on baby, we can be like they are. Just one more hit."

The girl, maybe twenty-five but with a body so emaciated and damaged she looked as though she was dying, giggled madly and offered her arm out to him.

Just as the syringe touched her skin, however, a gunshot rang out, striking right between the two drug addicts.

"Get the hell off my street," Shirley snarled, pointing the gun at the man, and then the girl, finger resting tersely on the trigger, and the two scrambled away, nearly knocking each other over in their attempt to get away.

"Freaking addicts," Shirley muttered, lowering the gun and pocketing it. She wasn't too concerned about anyone calling the cops or snooping about the gunfire- this neighborhood was at the lower end of the spectrum, and no one wanted to get themselves or, even worse, the police involved.

Things were getting bad out on the streets, she reflected, as she entered the apartment complex where she and Rivalz both lived. The fact that Reaper addicts, or the Living Dead, as some called them, were out on the street openly shooting up made that abundantly clear.

_This is the real world,_ Shirley thought to herself bitterly. _Not the shiny, carefree life at the Academy. Here, where people like those two get high on drugs because there's no other alternative._

She had started to forget that. Started to forget that beneath the polite smiles and carefree everyday life most people led there was blood in the streets, blood that would never wash away except with vengeance.

The Commander's words came back to her in a flash.

_"Fenette, trust me, Lelouch Lamperouge is the biggest traitor in our history. The surrender, the Blood Sunday riots that took your father's life, all the pain of the past seven years can be traced back to that one man."_

_The drugs, those people… this is Lelouch's fault,_ Shirley wondered, frowning. _Even… even the Riot? The one that killed my father?_

00000

_Seven years ago… _

All around them, it was chaos. Their street, where Shirley had spent plenty of days playing with the neighbor's children (_Mary and Denise,_ she remembered distantly), was filled with screaming, panicked people fleeing from the advancing wave of armed and armored soldiers in riot gear.

The Bloody Sunday riot had been going on for an hour now, and the Japanese retaliation was now in full swing- and their street had been picked for 'pacification'.

"Shirley, Margaret, get back inside!" her father, who never raised his voice above a jovial laugh, shouted furiously at them, pushing her mother and herself towards the door.

As the soldiers marched into the street, firing their rifles into the crowd, killing dozens in a spray of misty crimson, they seemed more like machines, devoid of mercy or pity for the men, women, and children they were gunning down.

Eventually, the soldiers stopped firing- not out of mercy, but so the riot squad members could break ranks, raising their nightsticks and rifles to bludgeon the populace back into submission.

Shirley saw Mrs. Hendricks, Mary's mother, have her skull split open by the butt of a Japanese soldier's rifle. She thought she heard Mary scream for her mother, before one of the soldiers beat her over the head with a nightstick (the next morning, Shirley would see Mary still lying there, in the street, the blonde locks she had once been so proud of sticky and matted with dried blood).

"Get back inside!" her father screamed again, forcing her to tear her gaze away from the sight of the people she'd grown up knowing dying on the street, pushing her sobbing mother through the door.

Her father looked back, just once. Maybe it was to see if it was safe, or maybe to see if he could help anyone else hide in their house, or maybe even just idle curiosity, a force of habit.

For his trouble, he caught a stray bullet caught him in the temple.

Richard Fenette took a long time to fall. He had been a bit of an overweight man, his face chubby and belly beginning to round out from years of working from a desk as an engineer, not really too tall or too short, just average. Plain, with no real distinguishing features except a jolly smile and a distinctive chuckle and a scent like old cigarettes and cocoa that Shirley always loved.

He was an utterly unremarkable man in every way, but somehow, watching him fall to the ground was like watching God die.

"Daddy!" Shirley shrieked, reaching out towards him, just before the door shut, and their eyes met for the last time.

That single moment would remain the most haunting thing in her mind for the next seven years, a fixed point in time for her, unchanging, unending.

In some ways, Shirley knew, she would always be that ten year old girl, in the hallway of her own house, watching her father die.

And then the door was slammed shut, and her mother had spirited them away into the downstairs closet, hiding in the dark and waiting for the monsters on the street to finish the slaughter, and everything was pitch black darkness and the bitter warmth of tears on her cheeks.

00000

Shirley didn't remember how long her mother just cowered in that closet, holding her tightly to her chest so Shirley's screams and sobs for her father wouldn't be overheard, all the while silently crying for the husband she had lost.

Her mother had used up all her bravery in that night- Margaret Fenette was a ghost of a woman after that, barely able to hold a job, let alone take care of a ten year old girl who just lost her father. They moved out to the countryside with Shirley's aunt, Margaret's sister, who cared for them as best she could, and was the one who sent a stipend to Shirley every month for food and necessities.

Even now, seven years later, those memories still haunted her dreams.

Dimly, she realized the anniversary of that incident was next month… she would have to go out to the countryside for a day to visit her mother.

"If you had anything to do with that, Lelouch Lamperouge, or Lelouch Vi Brittania, or whoever you are," Shirley growled, and rested her hand on the gun, feeling the reassuring weight of vengeance in her grasp, "Then I will kill you."

With the resolution of murder in her heart, Shirley went inside.

Author's Notes

If anyone actually knows who and where Zoktavir is from, honestly that would surprise me greatly. (And if you do, play like you've got a pair folks. Except if you're Cygnaran, because then you're playing like a pansy)

I'm on a pretty solid roll here, so I don't really have a lot of stuff to say. This chapter was really, really long, way beyond what I planned for it considering it was originally half of a chapter.

Lelouch's sins are slowly coming to light, but don't think you know the whole story just yet folks. I've been limited by the themes of this story as to how much I can tell, but suffice to say that I've been needing to wait for the story to progress far enough where I can show both Suzaku and Lelouch's sins at the same time. We're not quite there yet, but we're close.


	14. Chapter 13: Mars Rising

_When you were young  
And your heart was an open book_

_You used to say, "Live and let live"  
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)  
But if this ever-changing world in which we live in  
Makes you give in and cry_

_Say live and let die_

-"Live and Let Die", Paul McCartney & the Wings

Chapter 13

Mars Rising

"Commander Kouzuki, welcome aboard the _Murasaki."_

"Captain Shiroyama. It's a pleasure." Naoto saluted back primly, standing at attention, offering the man a gesture of subordinate respect.

While Naoto was nominally the highest ranking officer on this mission, Captain Shiroyama Hazuki was still the commanding officer aboard this vessel, and would have to be deferred to until they arrived in France.

Shiroyama gave him a brief once-over, as one soldier to another, as he lowered the salute, obviously wondering whether or not Naoto's age was a hindrance to his ability. The captain was a large, rough looking man with a graying, unkempt beard and mustache, with what seemed like a permanently furrowed brow beneath his uniform's white and blue naval cap.

Behind Naoto stood Sancia and then the rest of his company commanders and staff, all of them dressed formally for the occasion, just as Shiroyama's own second in command and staff officers were behind him in a line.

"Your reputation precedes you, Commander," Shiroyama complimented, folding his arms behind his back. "I've heard a great deal about your exploits."

"And yourself, Captain," Naoto responded politely, bowing his head, knowing how the game was played. "The _Murasaki_ is the pride of the Seventh Fleet. It's an honor to be onboard the ship that delivered the final blow to the Brittanian super-carrier _The Emperor's Fist_."

Shiroyama preened, and Naoto was grateful Sancia had taken the time to give him a profile of the man. Shiroyama was a decorated, seasoned officer, but not one of noble blood or a hero of any major battle, meaning any promotion above captain was unlikely. Yet the man was proud to a fault about his ship's history, and easily flattered.

"Yes, well, you know your history, Commander," Shiroyama coughed, "We will make port at Dunkirk at 1800 hours. Please, join me for lunch- I'm sure we have much to discuss."

"It would be my honor, Captain," Naoto replied. Before they could continue, another voice interrupted.

"Ah, Naoto-san. It's good to see you again," came a cultured voice from behind the Captain, and the row of uniformed navy officers parted to reveal a young man, maybe a year or two older than Naoto himself, dressed in archaic, Japanese fashion- geta sandals and socks, a beige hakama with a matching kimono, and a darker brown haori worn over it. Emblazoned over the back, Naoto knew, was an emblem of a Tiger Lily- the crest of the House of Kirihara, of the Six Houses of Kyoto.

Naoto stiffened and bowed formally at the waist, as did Captain Shiroyama and everyone else on deck.

"Kaname-sama," he said softly, not daring to meet the man's eyes.

"Please, Naoto-san, you're embarrassing me. All of you, up, up."

Slowly, everyone broke their formal bowing stance and raised their heads up to see the smiling, aristocratic features of Kirihara Kaname.

His features were delicate, almost girlishly so, with high cheekbones and long, silky black hair, and deep brown eyes that Naoto had personally seen more than one woman literally trip over themselves when he stared at them. Someone had once nicknamed him Hikaru no Kaname, after the old tale of Hikaru no Genji, and the nickname had stuck over the years.

But beneath all that appearance of beauty and gentleness was a heart as cold and hard as steel, Naoto knew.

Kaname was the grandson of Kirihara Taizou, and the sole heir to all the power and wealth of his grandfather's corporation and house. His parents and older brother, Ryousuke, had died over five years ago in a mysterious fire at their family estate, when Kaname had been conspicuously out of the country, skiing in Hokkaido with a few close friends who could and did vouch for his presence during the entirety of the trip.

His grandfather Taizou himself should have been at the estate that night, but for an emergency board meeting at Kirihara Industries that called him away at the last moment.

So sad, too bad, leaving Kaname without any competition for his grandfather Taizou's nearly unlimited political influence, and, if things had been different, no opposition to becoming the new chairman and CEO of Kirihara Industries.

Since then Kaname's rise in the world had been nothing short of meteoric, with enemies and obstacles simply vanishing away, all the while leaving the gentle Kaname free to acquire more and more power without a single accusation being voiced of foul play, until he had reached the position of Representative of the Diet at the tender age of thirty, liaising directly with the Imperial Council for the Diet of Japan.

There was no one scarier right now in the Empire, in Naoto's eyes. To cross him was to invite death- only the members of the Imperial Council and the Divine Emperor Himself were above the reach of Hikaru no Kaname, it was said.

"How long has it been since we've seen each other, Naoto-san?" Kaname questioned, moving until he was only a foot away from the younger man. "Must be… three years? You were still a Captain then. Congratulations on your promotion."

"Many thanks, Kaname-sama," Naoto responded mechanically, bowing again. "And to you as well, for your successful reelection to the Diet this year."

"My opponent fought an admirable race," Kaname said silkily. "It's a shame he decided to drop out halfway through after that indecent scandal with his secretary. Really, for a man like that to cheat on his wife of twenty years…"

"A shame," Naoto agreed, though there was no sincerity to his tone. He had no doubt that whoever Kaname's opponent was, that secretary had probably seduced him on Kaname's orders.

When they were children, Kaname had always cheated at every game, every test, as far as Naoto knew, without exception.

Not because he didn't have the ability to win fairly, because in reality Kaname was probably smarter than anyone else around at the time and was athletic enough to have served in the military, but simply because he_ could_ cheat and get away with it.

"And this must be your Lieutenant. She's even prettier than I heard," Kaname continued, stepping past Naoto and right up to Sancia with a smile. Slowly, he reached out and absently took one of Sancia's locks into his hand and pressed a light kiss into it. "It must be absolutely wonderful to work alongside such beauty."

Naoto refused to believe that Sancia's cheeks had reddened, and inwardly he seethed at the very thought of Kaname eyeing his Lieutenant like a piece of meat.

"I apologize for cutting the pleasantries short, but I think we've all had enough of standing out in the middle of the ocean on a cold fall day," Naoto said roughly, doing his best to hide a scowl. "And I'm sure Captain Shiroyama would like to get moving- we have a schedule to keep."

"Of course, Commander. I forgot myself," Kaname said lightly, still smiling at Sancia as he released the lock of her hair in his hands. "Please. Let us go below. The Captain has been kind enough to prepare a meal in the officer's mess."

"Lead the way," Naoto said tersely. _This is going to be a long trip…_

00000

Lelouch was woken up abruptly on what was supposed to be a sleepy, relaxing Sunday morning after he had spent all night drafting contingency plans and security details for Naoto by the sound of his phone ringing.

Dazed and feeling distinctly bitter about the world, Lelouch groped around bleary eyed for his phone, finally landing his hand on his nightstand after a few moments of reorienting himself.

_Wallet, keys… damn, where is my-_ his fingers finally grasped the object he was seeking, and Lelouch flipped open his phone and said tiredly, "Yes?"

_ "Good morning, Lelouch-kun!"_

_ Dear God in Heaven, no. _Lelouch felt like crying.

"… Kaguya, it's Sunday," Lelouch said quietly, dropping his usual habit of calling her only by her title for once as he shut his eyes. "We agreed you would never, ever bother me about Student Council business on Sundays. It was one of my conditions for becoming Vice President."

_ "This isn't Student Council business silly!" _Kaguya responded sweetly. _"I just want you to turn on your television set in a few minutes, and set it to channel two. I promise, it'll be worth it."_

Without waiting for a reply, Kaguya hung up, and Lelouch stared blankly at his phone as the dial came on.

For a few moments, Lelouch really contemplated ignoring Kaguya's words and descending back into the welcoming siren song of sleep. However, in the end, he knew in his heart that Kaguya was much smarter than she let on, and even her silliest ideas often had some kind of deeper benefit.

Sighing, Lelouch grabbed the remote of his nightstand and turned on the small television in his room, shifting so he was more comfortable in his bed.

Immediately, a loud, cheerful voice filled the room from the television.

"And now the latest toy from Aperture Enrichment- the Companion Cube, the perfect gift for boys and girls of all ages. Get yours now!"

"Commercials," Lelouch muttered, rolling his eyes.

The commercial faded, and was replaced by the cheerful chimes of the morning news.

"Welcome to Nippon News. I'm your lovely host, Kazumi Asakura," said a pretty, twenty-something woman in a sharp business suit jacket and white blouse shirt sitting at a large, wood-paneled desk. "We begin with our continuing coverage of the crisis in the northern Chinese territory of the Empire, where our sovereign territory was invaded by what has been stated to be rogue elements from the Eurasian Federation. Today a diplomatic envoy from our territory in Brittania, headed up by Representative of the Diet Kirihara Kaname and Commander Kouzuki Naoto of the 75th Armored Regiment. Connecting to us live via video conference to talk about this issue and honoring us with her presence is her highness Princess Sumeragi Kaguya."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. Well, at least that explained why she called.

Kaguya's smiling face took up one half of the screen at that point, creating a split screen view between the reporter and the princess. She was wearing her usual formal kimono for these situations, a mostly white outfit with outlines of purple and light red.

"It's good to be back on the show, Kazumi-chan," Kaguya said cheerily.

"We're always happy to have you, highness," Kazumi responded immediately, bowing her head politely. "And the public greatly desires the word of the Imperial family in this terrible crisis."

"Well, I cannot speak for my honored uncle, the Emperor, or my cousin Prince Suzaku," Kaguya began slowly, her tone never losing its charm or cheer, "But I myself have a few words to say to the public."

"Please, go on," Kazumi insisted politely.

Kaguya stared directly forward, and Lelouch knew it was a trick of the camera angle, but it seemed as though she was looking right at him- and, Lelouch knew, it would seem that way to everyone else watching the news at this moment.

_Her savant-level talent for touching the hearts of the people is as impressive as always, _Lelouch acknowledged with a wry smile.

"Everyone," Kaguya began softly, her tone earnest and pure, "I know right now we are all grieving over the deaths of our brave soldiers, whose wrongful deaths will be remembered as prideful defenders of our great empire. But do not let your heart be stirred with anger, for in that lies the deaths of many more of our beloved sons and brothers and fathers. We will have justice for our dead, but I urge you to remember that temperance, like justice, is also a virtue of heaven. We who carry the justice and judgment of heaven, guided by the divine will of the gods, must never let ourselves be too willing to shed blood."

It was hard to see the silly, rambunctious school president (and perpetual headache) in this solemn, stately peacemaker. Her ability to switch between these two personas was fairly astonishing, really.

"In the weeks to come I feel we will be tested like never before, and I am confident you will rise to the challenge like true citizens of the Empire, with courage and grace that befits our status as the bringers of heaven's will."

There was a long, still pause charged with terse energy,

"Nice work, president…" Lelouch murmured, smiling faintly. In just a few minutes Kaguya had taken this crisis and made it into a test of morals, not arms.

Moments like these gave Lelouch some small hope that real peace, not this false, uneasy ceasefire amongst the nations of the world, could be achieved.

"She looks good on the television, doesn't she?" came a silky, feminine voice from the doorway.

Lelouch met C.C.'s gaze with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't aware you cared about the news," Lelouch commented with vague amusement.

C.C. gave a little 'humph' in reply, and sliding further into the room, dressed comfortably in a blouse and knee length skirt. "It's always nice to know someone famous."

"You've known people I'm reading about in history textbooks," Lelouch reminded her wryly. "Though I guess that's to be expected when you're-"

"It's not nice to talk about a woman's age like that," C.C. chided, bopping him on the nose in retribution- an old habit she had started when he was about eleven, whenever he got too 'uppity' with her.

"I hate when you do that," Lelouch muttered, rubbing his nose absently.

C.C. smirked and responded absently, "So, what's on the agenda for today, boya? More scheming on how to save the world from your own countrymen?"

"Actually, a chess game," Lelouch replied, smirking back, much to C.C.'s surprise. "Rivalz-san found some games in a park. He insisted I come out and see them with him today."

"Hooo? Making new friends, are we?" C.C. said, chuckling. "Well I guess it's good for you to have more friends. Might make you less neurotic."

"I am not neurotic," Lelouch refuted, scowling now. "I am a perfectly functional human being."

"Perfectly functional human beings don't dress up in masks and capes," C.C. reminded him.

"Oh shut up," Lelouch muttered.

00000

"Well now that was just a lovely little speech, hmm?"

Luciano grinned as he reclined against the couch, his feet resting heel first on top of the wooden table in front of him as he took a large bite out of the apple in his hands, watching the television screen with interest as Princess Kaguya continued speaking. He was dressed in a nondescript two piece black suit with a matching tie and white undershirt, and a large beige trenchcoat over the ensemble.

As he chewed audibly on the fruit, he listened in almost thoughtfully, considering every word, and by the time he had swallowed, he finally looked away, glancing over at the other occupants of the room.

"Oh come on, don't be silent, Takeshi- tell me what you think about miss peace princess's little speech!" Luciano said cheerily. "I'm sure you and your wife have plenty to say on the subject."

There was a muffled grunt in response, and Luciano grinned. "Oh, right, the gags."

The man, Takeshi, and his wife, were a pretty average looking Japanese couple- Takeshi was slim, with cropped black hair and a strong jaw. His wife (Luciano could not recall her name) was a long haired woman of around forty who probably was fairly beautiful once, but age and children had given her a plump, well lived look.

The two of them were handcuffed tightly against two wooden chairs taken from the table, with dirty cloth rags keeping them gagged and unable to talk. The two of them were dressed only in their sleeping clothes, hair mussed, faces bruised and bloody from an obvious beating.

"Well, I guess it's no matter. Just another thing I'll have to take care of later," Luciano muttered, shrugging as he lazily sat up from the couch, cracking his neck as he did so. "Well, I think the cleanup crew is outside waiting, so I guess it's time to finish the job."

Takeshi's grunting grew in volume, his attempts at breaking away from his bindings growing more and more violent. His wife, on the other hand, merely sobbed in silence, tears running down and across a colorful variety of bruises and cuts, staining the cloth in her mouth.

"Oh come on," Luciano said, chuckling slightly, "It's no hard feelings here, Takeshi. You had to have known that I'd find out about your little attempts at stealing my product. It's called copyright infringement. You know how I operate- your kids were just casualties of war."

Takeshi glared defiantly at him, and, on impulse, Luciano pulled the gag off. "What was that?"

In response, Takeshi spat in his face. "I said, I'm going to kill you."

"I think that's going to be hard, what with you in the chair and me with a gun," Luciano responded, smiling sweetly as he removed the slim pistol from within the pocket of his trenchcoat. A professional, military-grade silencer was affixed to the front.

"You killed my daughter you sick bastard," Takeshi snarled in reply, straining against his metal bonds. His voice was strained and every word sounded as though it was a shout reduced to a whisper (Luciano vaguely remembered breaking one or two of the man's ribs, which probably explained the shortness of breath). "You slit her throat and made me watch her die while your men beat me to the ground."

"Well, like I said, I have a business to protect. I let one eight year old girl live, I have to let them all live when I go to their father's house to murder his family," Luciano responded carelessly, his eyes unrepentantly gleeful.

"You told me you'd leave her alone if I told you the passcode to disable the factory security system!" Takeshi screamed, and if it wasn't for his men waiting outside, Luciano might have been worried about attracting attention.

"Well I was lying, duh," Luciano said, as if it were obvious, rolling his eyes. "You're in charge of the factory here in Dudley, and you're the one trying to copy my product, Reaper, and undercut me. Of course I'm going to kill you first."

He leaned back and straightened, smiling widely. "Now! Tell me, what do people value most in life, Mister Takeshi?"

"Go to Hell," Takeshi spat, his saliva mixed with blood as it landed against Luciano's cheek.

"Not the usual answer, but okay," Luciano said with a shrug, and shot him and his wife in the head, once each.

As he moved away, placing the gun back inside of his coat, he glanced one more time at the television, where Japan's princess continued talking about peace and temperance in the face of war.

_The boss isn't gonna like some brat poking holes in our plan with all her talk about love and peace and all that crap,_ Luciano thought absently, wiping a speck of blood that had landed on his coat away.

"Might have to do something about that little girl," Luciano said thoughtfully, stepping gingerly over the bodies as he walked out of the house, whistling a jaunty tune.

Marika, who was waiting just outside the door, inkling her head respectfully as he passed. "Sir, have you finished your business?"

"Yup," Luciano answered casually, thrusting his hands inside his trenchcoat.

"Very good sir. Are we proceeding with stage two of the operation then?" Marika questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Not just yet," Luciano replied, still humming under his breath. "According to Takeshi, the lab works nights, so, let's take in a show or whatever it is they do around here. We've got time to kill."

00000

"I can't believe you were blushing over that guy," Naoto muttered, quietly enough that only the person right next to him could hear.

Sancia flushed ever so slightly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The two of them, along with Captain Shiroyama and Kirihara Kaname were seated around a large, ornate wooden table with a white table cloth. Normally, someone of Sancia's blood and rank would not have been allowed to dine with the captain of a Japanese ship, but Kaname had insisted she be allowed to join, overriding all protests with a smile.

"So," Kaname began pleasantly, picking at his plate with a pair of chopsticks, "How is Kallen-san? Is she doing well?"

"She's doing fine," Naoto said politely back, though he refused to go into any specifics.  
"Bringing her to Brittania really has helped keep things secure."

"Yes, that dreadful business with this_ Jinchuu_ character and that airport hostage crisis… my, my, what a troublesome region you've been given," Kaname murmured, a light smile on his lips. "I do hope my dear cousins are doing fine in such an environment."

"Prince Suzaku and Princess Kaguya are healthy, hale, and safe. They are under my protection and the protection of one of the _Shichitennou_," Naoto responded tonelessly, taking a slow slip of the wine.

"Yes, the Emperor's swords have a great deal of weight, don't they?" Kaname said thoughtfully, drinking his wine as well. "My grandfather had considered sending another of them with me here, though I talked him out of it."

"Sending _Shichitennou_ to a diplomatic conference?" Naoto blinked. The Emperor's personal warriors were a potent symbol of Imperial strength, and the justice of heaven- it would have been like showing up to a treaty signing in a tank.

"Yes, my thoughts exactly!" Kaname said with a tittering laugh, shaking his head. "Honestly, my grandfather worries far too much for my safety. The Federation has promised us safe passage during these talks."

Naoto highly doubted there was any worry in Kirihara Taizou's heart when the Chief Minister sought to send one of the Swords to Eurasia- more a pressing need to keep an eye on his grandson using reliable, incorruptible sources and keep the man out of making any unsavory deals.

"If I may ask, Kirihara-sama," Sancia said quietly, speaking up for the first time. "Who will be representing the Federation at these talks?"

"An excellent question, Lieutenant," Kaname responded, smiling generously, "We've received word that Senator Thomas Dantes, Chairman of the Oversight Committee, will be hosting this convention and will be conducting negotiations. There are of course a number of other officials from the Federation who will be present at the time as well, to welcome us."

"And their military presence? Commander Kouzuki's men are of course onboard this ship as a precaution and honor guard for you, Kaname-sama, so I assume that Einherjar will present itself there as well," Captain Shiroyama rumbled thoughtfully, looking up from a now empty plate.

"Of course," Kaname answered immediately, his tone playful, "Matters of state security in the Federation are one of the directives of the contract Einherjar has with the Eurasian Senate. A detachment of their forces are awaiting us in Dunkirk as we speak. Strictly defensive, of course."

"Hmph. I doubt Einherjar does anything defensively," Naoto muttered, half to himself as he took another swig of the wine (Sancia frowned ever so slightly at his drinking habits).

"Oh? I had heard you fought a few battles with Federation forces in isolated conflicts, but you seem to know them quite well," Kaname murmured.

"I saw the Butcher's work firsthand, in Manchuria," Naoto answered quietly, his voice withdrawn into somber memories. "It was at a tiny town on the border of Russia and our own… Chen-li, I remember it being called. Seven hundred people lived there… until the Butcher came to call, and killed them all. The streets were so soaked with blood that the rats had to dance amongst the debris of the destroyed houses to survive. We never did identify all the bodies."

Sancia bowed her head in quiet reminiscence at the memory, but the others at the table were not so bothered by the deaths of the Chinese.

"Ah, so you've even had dealings with the Butcher. So in your professional opinion, Naoto-san, is Orsus Zoktavir really so mad as to attack one of our military bases without authorization?" Captain Shiroyama questioned, raising an eyebrow from his glass of dark, red wine, completely unperturbed by the description of carnage he had been made privy to.

As he measured out his reply, Naoto made a mental note of that nonchalance, pegging Shiroyama down further as a pure-blooded Japanese military man to the core because of his nonchalance towards the massacre Zoktavir had unleashed amongst the populace, likely because the inhabitants had not been pure-blooded members of the Empire.

"It's entirely possible. The man is Einherjar's rabid dog, useful as a threat against both internal and external problems, but ultimately just a volatile weapon liable to go off at any moment," Naoto admitted reluctantly. "But it would be dangerous to assume this is an isolated incident."

"Well, I think this conversation is getting a bit too maudlin, don't you?" Kaname interrupted, smiling widely as he poured himself another glass of wine. "You act as if the talks are already failing."

Naoto eyed the other man with a guarded expression, and said with as neutral a tone as possible, "My apologies, Kaname-sama. With your ability we should easily be able to resolve this crisis. It's just the military in me, I'm afraid, making me see the worst case scenario."

"No apologies necessary, of course, Naoto-san. It comforts me to have someone prepared for all outcomes on this endeavor," Kaname said in praise, raising his glass in a toast. "I am certain that with you at my side we can accomplish much."

And suddenly everything made sense to Naoto in that moment- Kaname was the one who requested his presence. The heir to Kirihara's wealth and power was always attempting to gather influence and allies, and he had made Naoto his newest project.

Naoto raised his glass with a forced smile. Politics was a game he was familiar with- he was the heir to a powerful clan with a great deal of political influence, despite his distaste for the practice. If Kaname wanted to play, Naoto would oblige him.

"With your confidence, Kaname-sama, I hope that our endeavor will be successful, and our empire remains prosperous," Naoto intoned solemnly, "To peace."

"To peace," the rest of the table rumbled.

00000

"Suzaku-sama, welcome to Dudley."

The thinning, glasses-wearing man bowed deeply at the waist, alongside over a dozen other minor officials and men in bland, dark suits that were quite obviously security.

Suzaku nodded once in acknowledgment at the man. "Thank you…"

Behind him, Milly, looking solemn and her eyes closed, the very picture of a stately servant, whispered, "Masataka Ryousuke."

"Masataka-san," Suzaku finished, smiling in relief. "It's a pleasure to be here."

Masataka Ryousuke bowed even lower, if that were physically possible, smiling sycophantically at the acknowledgment of his name being remembered (or at least the appearance of being remembered).

"Please, I'm sure you're tired from your flight. I have a car waiting to take you to your hotel. The staff has already been notified of your arrival," Masataka said quickly, gesturing towards the dark sedan waiting for them in the distance.

Suzaku inclined his head in wordless thanks, stepping off the staircase leading out from the doors of the private jet, Milly following close behind.

"So, Suzaku-sama, what are your plans for your visit to our fair city?" Masataka questioned, keeping a respectful, subservient distance between them as they walked- technically he could have moved ahead of Milly, but Milly's status as his personal servant gave her the freedom to stay a step behind him.

"I have a meeting planned with the heads of the factory here in Dudley, and I believe a dinner scheduled with you and the members of your staff afterward," Suzaku answered simply, his voice formal and brisk as they reached the car.

Masataka moved to open the doors respectfully, and asked softly, "Would you like me to accompany you to this meeting, Suzaku-sama? I can be of great use-"

"I will be fine," Suzaku interrupted curtly, with a sharp nod as he stepped inside the car, Milly following close behind, shutting the door behind her, leaving Masataka speechless outside.

Unusually, Milly waited until the car had actually started driving away before breaking out into a fit of giggles.

"Did you see his face?" Milly said, chortling with unhidden glee, and Suzaku cracked a smile as well. It was pretty funny.

They shared a moment of smiles and laughter, and then Suzaku, albeit reluctantly, returned to the more sobering matters at hand.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Milly?" Suzaku questioned hesitantly, biting his lip. "We can think of another way…"

"Nonsense. While you're busy making time with the factory bigshots, I can poke around and find us a good way to sneak our 'friends' into the facility and get the prisoners out of there," Milly asserted with a confident grin. "No problem at all. The plan is genius."

"You're only saying that because it's your plan," Suzaku said suspiciously, frowning. "I just don't like always having to rely on you for these things."

At that, Milly's face flickered, ever so briefly, into an expression that Suzaku had never really seen before- fear. But it passed quickly and suddenly Milly was all smiles again with such speed that Suzaku figured he had to have imagined it. After all, what could possibly cause Milly, of all people, to be afraid of Suzaku relying on her?

"Well, someone like you has no choice but to rely on his beautiful and brilliant maid," Milly responded sweetly.

"Euphie isn't here," Suzaku joked without thinking, grinning back.

Milly's expression changed into one of mock surprise. "Why, Suzaku-sama, I had no idea you thought such lewd thoughts about our innocent little ward. Naughty boy," she murmured, smiling wickedly. "So your white knight tendencies aren't entirely pure…"

Suzaku flushed hotly, feeling horribly mortified, and Milly's smile only widened.

"Oh shut up," Suzaku managed defensively, crossing his arms, ignoring Milly's tittering laughter.

00000

Euphemia sneezed, and hoped she wasn't catching a cold. Idly, as she wiped her nose down with a handkerchief, she glanced out the doorway of the hospital room, seeing no one.

It was the first time Euphemia felt truly alone in a long time- even taking a moment alone in the mansion had never felt this way, as she had known Milly or Suzaku would be just around the corner.

Now they were both miles away, and she was alone again.

Euphemia sighed, and glanced down at the bed before her. "I guess not entirely alone," she muttered to herself, gazing down at the girl Suzaku had said was her sister.

Nunnally always reminded her of a porcelain doll, a still life snapshot of a living girl, frozen forever. She was so beautiful, but so pale and fragile looking that it seemed like she would break at the slightest touch.

Still… there was something in their features that Euphemia did find familiar when she looked into a mirror. The height of their cheekbones and the shape of their faces were similar enough that Euphemia could see the resemblance- she didn't truly doubt Suzaku's words, but words were only so much comfort in a world where everyone was a virtual stranger.

A knock at the door distracted Euphemia from her thoughts, and a hesitant looking young nurse, short-haired and pretty, stood at the doorway, holding a spotless metal tray.

"Excuse me miss, but it's time for the patient's daily treatment," the nurse said apologetically. "If you don't mind standing away for a moment, I'll just need the patient's arm."

Euphemia nodded quickly and moved away, watching the nurse move towards Nunnally with practiced, professional grace, setting the tray down on the table and putting on a pair of rubber gloves. As the nurse removed the slim injection needle from the tray, Euphemia asked curiously, "What is it you're giving her?"

"Oh this?" the nurse asked rhetorically, glancing over at Euphemia as she filled the needle with an amber fluid from a vial, "This is a muscle rejuvenant. Very powerful stuff- it's used to keep muscles from going into atrophy after long periods of disuse, as is the case with the patient. A single dose of it every day keeps a human body relatively fit- not top physical shape or anything, but enough that it prevents the need for long and painful physical therapy."

Euphemia followed along with a nod, pursing her lips thoughtfully. After the nurse finished, Euphemia commented, "You all seem very busy today- normally there's a lot more nurses around here, aren't there?"

"It's been a busy week. Busy month, really," the nurse replied, sounding annoyed. "It's that damn Reaper drug. More and more OD cases coming every day, meaning that more of us are needed in other departments than here. I'm the only nurse working this floor for this whole shift."

As she finished speaking, the nurse removed the blanket covering everything below Nunnally's neck- and Euphemia gasped in horror.

The nurse, surprised by the noise, glanced up at her with a wry look. "Oh, have you not seen this before? Guess there's never really a need to take off the bed sheets of a comatose little girl, huh? I'm more or less used to it now- been on the rounds here for three years."

Marring Nunnally's skin, stretching up and down her bare arms and legs, were terrible burns that marred the porcelain skin Euphemia had admired earlier- they were old, and healed, but the skin was unmistakably scarred by flame.

_ Fire… _

A white-hot light burned in her eyes suddenly, like the flash of a camera bulb magnified a thousand times over, followed by a blur of random, unknown images.

A tall, broad shouldered titan of a man with white hair and a powerful face stood in the distance.

A beautiful dark haired goddess of a woman held her hand on a bright autumn day. Nunnally gripped the woman's other hand tightly, smiling and happy and alive.

And lastly a boy with amethyst eyes and dark hair staring at her, eyes wide in horror just as the flames rose up with a triumphant, beast-like roar-

Her eyes snapped open and she realized the nurse had been talking the whole time, oblivious to the vivid hallucination Euphemia had just experienced.

"… the doctors say the skin grafts never really took. Whoever cared for her before she came here was good, but obviously their equipment or training wasn't enough to make sure those skin grafts were a success," the nurse commented, her words distant to the roar in Euphemia's ears, "And because she's anonymous, a veritable Yamada Tarou, we don't know enough to try other procedures lest we aggravate a pre-existing condition that would prove fatal."

The nurse glanced back at her and put a hand over her mouth, looking contrite. "Oh I'm sorry; I must be boring you with all these ramblings. Must be all this solo-shift work."

"No, please, it's alright," Euphemia managed shakily, trying to will away the images that were still flashing in her mind.

Was that her past? Nunnally was there, younger and more alive…

And who was the boy? Of all the faces in her vision, his was the most vivid, the most clear…

And for some reason, the most dreaded.

00000

"Oi! Lelouch-kun! Over here!" Rivalz called out, waving enthusiastically just down the park path from him. The other boy was dressed in a flamboyant t-shirt which read 'Sket Dan', jeans, and slacks, and pretty much blended in utterly with the crowd around them.

Lelouch inclined his head in greeting and smiled. "Rivalz-kun," he greeted, hands in the pockets of his dark blue jacket.

They exchanged brief pleasantries, and then proceeded on with the matter at hand.

"This is the place?" Lelouch asked speculatively, glancing around with a look of reserved judgment.

There were a dozen stone tables, clearly leftovers from before the invasion, with a standard chessboard painted onto the surface. About half of them were occupied with a pair of players, and a few even had small crowds observing the game. Lelouch's eyes spotted money changing hands, though each time it happened a man in, of all things, a top hat, muffler, ragged shirt and black jacket ensemble was involved.

"Ah there's Roger. Roger!" Rivalz called out, waving.

"'allo then," the man, Roger, greeted Rivalz, thrusting out a friendly hand. He peered over at Lelouch with dark, intelligent eyes. "So this is the guy then?"

"Yup. He's here to play," Rivalz assured him, before Lelouch could say a word.

"Well the lad's untested and young, but on the other hand no one knows jack about his abilities, so I think I can get you boys four to one odds or so," Roger said slowly, chewing his lip thoughtfully as he glanced back over his shoulder. "Maybe even eight to one or more since the only free player is 'The Gentleman'."

"Oooh," Rivalz said excitedly, grinning. "That old geezer might even be a challenge for you, Lelouch-kun."

"Hmph," Lelouch said noncommittally, keeping his expression neutral. Despite himself, he felt rather confident that there was no one here who could pose a real challenge to him- no one except Schneizel had in a long, long time.

"Well, the boy's got spunk, I'll give him that," Roger commented, grinning. "I'll set it up. You can put a few yen up yourself- of course, you can't bet against yourself."

He led them over to a table, where an older man sat with his back to them, dressed casually in an old, frayed jacket.

"Well, my friend, it seems you've got a new challenger," Roger said cheerfully, clapping the older man on the back, who turned around-

"Stadtfeld?" Lelouch blurted out in surprise.

The steely grey-blue eyes of Matthew Stadtfeld gazed back at him with a hint of amusement, though the rest of his expression remained completely impassive. After having spent more time with Kallen since their first meeting, Lelouch could appreciate how the daughter resembled the father- there was a strength beneath the weathered, pre-maturely aged features that Kallen clearly gained from this man.

"You two know each other?" Roger asked, raising an eyebrow. Next to him, Rivalz stared expectantly as well.

Lelouch's mind raced with an answer that wouldn't implicate either Stadtfeld or himself as anything more than an ordinary student and a weathered old man.

"He knew my parents before they died," Lelouch answered swiftly, "They worked together."

"Oh. Well, I hope this old acquaintance won't hinder either of your games, lads," Roger said cheerfully, clapping his hands as he accepted the lie. "I'll go around and take a few bets before you two get started then."

And with that, he sauntered off, leaving the three of them alone, and Lelouch glanced over at Rivalz and smiled slightly. "Rivalz, Mister Stadtfeld and I have a bit of catching up to do. Do you mind giving us a moment?"

Rivalz shrugged. "Nope. I should see Roger about making a bet on this one myself anyway and pitch you to the other guys."

As he walked away, Lelouch settled down across the stone table from Kallen's father, idly noting that the board was already set up and he had been assigned black already.

"So, you're 'The Gentleman'," Lelouch commented, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"It's a nickname I've gained in these… circles," Matthew responded delicately, his face betraying nothing. "A circle of people I would not expect someone like you to fall into, Lelouch."

"Rivalz introduced me. And what sort of people are these, then?" Lelouch asked, frowning.

"Gambling isn't necessarily illegal, but this is still a more… unsavory place than someone with your bloodline should be part of," Matthew replied, idly tapping a finger against the white king, and for a moment his old aristocratic demeanor came through. "These are gamblers and desperados who need distractions. I've suspected a few of even being tied to the resistance movement, though naturally I've never asked."

Immediately Lelouch was put on guard, and he glanced around, giving every person in the crowd a more thorough look as though it would show which of them were terrorists.

"Relax, no one here is a threat," Matthew assured him softly. "Except maybe Roger- the man's got a lot of connections. This small gambling ring is just one of his fronts. I suspect he supplies the resistance with resources they need."

Lelouch glanced idly out of the corner of his eye, spotting the man in question, and making a mental note to double check the police database (which Naoto had given him access to) for any record of the man.

"So what brings a man like you here then, Stadtfeld?" Lelouch pressed, setting his mouth in a thin line as his thin fingers curled around the black king. "You don't seem the gambling type to me."

"I'll tell you what. I'll answer your question if you win," Matthew responded coolly, a hint of a smirk playing upon his lips. "If I win, you answer one of mine."

"Seems fair," Lelouch agreed, as Roger and Rivalz ambled back over with a small crowd.

"Gentlemen, the bets are on, and we are all set to go if you are," Roger said, smiling toothily. "Begin."

Matthew made the first move, the fairly standard Queen's Pawn opening, and Lelouch countered in the most typical manner possible- no sense in going all out right from the start, he supposed.

The game went on a for a few turns with Lelouch deciding to feel his opponent out, occasionally putting forth a few gambits just to see if Matthew would take them, risking a knight or a pawn in an exchange. Each time Stadtfeld remained unmoved, moving defensively, refusing to risk being drawn out into the open.

Lelouch, after another of his gambits failed, happened to glance up and see a searching, judging expression on the older man's face that somehow set Lelouch's teeth on edge, feeling as though he was being tested and not taken seriously.

"You're reckless," Matthew commented, as if sensing Lelouch's irritation at being underestimated and giving him an explanation.

"I was taught offense is the best defense," Lelouch responded tartly, moving his pawn forward aggressively. And it was true- in the house of the Imperial Family, defensive actions were a sign of weakness, and shows of strength prized above all else.

"Your brother was a fair hand at both, if I recall. I happened to see him play a game a few times at a few social meetings," Matthew murmured, and this time took the pawn. "You're a far cry from his level, though."

Lelouch quickly countered, striking back with his knight, eager to take something away from Stadtfeld after that jibe about Schneizel-

Which was taken by the white bishop, in a move that Lelouch had failed to see in his haste and anger.

_Damn. I'm letting him distract me_, Lelouch cursed inwardly, wincing at that failure.

"You like to play with risk- I wasn't aware your type liked living on the edge, Lelouch. It must be a trait you inherited from your mother," Matthew commented, and Lelouch nearly dropped the piece in his hands at the seemingly casual remark, his every muscle stiffening at those words.

"I'm not reckless," Lelouch all but snarled back, feeling defensive, and his movements began to follow that pattern to defy the older man's assertion about his character. His earlier gambits had left him overextended though, and he lost his second knight to the white queen.

"You're also not very confident," Matthew murmured, and his play style went up noticeably in aggressiveness, pushing Lelouch back. "Just because you were losing momentum was not a reason to cease the advance. Knight takes rook, by the way."

"I know how to play. I just haven't in a while," Lelouch shot back, trying to regain control of the board as he passed his rook over to Stadtfeld. His mind wandered back to the days in Aries palace, the ferocious duels with Schneizel and Clovis that seemed like someone else's story. He hadn't played seriously since then- occasionally Jeremiah would play a game with him, but it never pushed his limits the way playing Schneizel had…

"Check."

Lelouch blinked, staring down at the board with a mixture of shock and dismay. He had let his guard down again- it was just check, but it was a sign of how muddled his thoughts had become.

Gritting his teeth, feeling uncharacteristically pressured, Lelouch forced himself down into a calm, meditative state of mind, shutting away the memories and replacing them with the serenity of the void. This was a practice he had learned from, of all people, C.C., who alluded to having learnt it somewhere in the East.

_Do not think about mother. Or father. Or Nunnally, or-_

_There is only here, and now_, Lelouch reminded himself, cutting off his thoughts before they reached the fourth name, drawing in a breath to steady himself. And with a steady hand, he made his counter-move.

00000

Across the table, Matthew Stadtfeld gauged the former prince with a tiny amount of admiration for collecting himself in the face of what was obviously a great deal of personal turmoil- as befitting the blood of the Emperors which flowed through his veins, he supposed.

He found that sniping at the boy with those personal jabs easier than he thought, drawing upon years of court intrigue, full of double-talk and hidden slights within honeyed words that could mean the difference between a secured future and a knife in the back.

Of course there was more to his attacking the boy's ego than a desire to win- Matthew had heard dark rumors and whispers of the eldest son of Marianne the Flash in the days just after the initial surrender from his few remaining sources in the court. The first time they met Matthew had been shaken too badly by his unexpected reunion with his beloved daughter to do anything more than accept the boy's word at helping his daughter, but now he was free to concentrate on seeing the truth of the rumors- and if so, what sort of danger Lelouch Lamperouge posed for Kallen.

Lelouch's counterattack was swift and decisive, a far cry from the reckless gambits and shaky confidence of before, and Matthew, though considered a skilled player, could already see he was outmatched in intelligence. The boy had raw tactical ability, if nothing else- Matthew lost three pawns, a knight, and a bishop in a series of creative counterattacks and gambits, while Lelouch lost a single bishop and a pawn in exchange- he was still losing by a wide margin in terms of sheer board dominance and positioning, but the margin was slimming.

But even the best strategist couldn't always make a losing battle into a victory, and Lelouch's king was still vulnerable, trapped as it was behind several remaining pawns.

Within ten moves, Matthew had him dead to rights, pinning him with the white queen and a rook, and Lelouch bowed his head in acknowledgment and tipped his king.

In the background, Rivalz groaned, hands over his eyes as he handed over a small handful of bills to Roger. "Aw man and it started looking good too at the end!"

"I was distracted earlier, and made too many mistakes which cost me a victory," Lelouch said quietly, his voice neither an excuse nor an apology. "Next time I'll play better."

Rivalz patted him on the back. "Eh, its okay, Lelouch-kun- this guy's the best player here anyway. I guess it was just bad luck you went up against him first."

And with that, he wandered off with Roger, who was busy collecting the winnings. Once it was just the two of them alone again, Matthew spoke for the first time since the game concluded.

"There's a saying I've heard… I believe your father was the one who coined it, in fact," Matthew murmured, so only the two of them could hear, "It goes, 'The king must move first, or the others will not follow'. You should have led more swiftly, Lelouch."

"I've heard that before," Lelouch said softly, refusing to meet his eyes. "It's too bad I lack the qualifications to be the king."

_That _was a comment that left Matthew's eyebrows raised, a questioning look in his eyes. The boy certainly didn't act as though he lacked the qualifications- his bearing, his air, and even his manner of speaking betrayed his royal heritage to Matthew's eyes.

"I believe there's the matter of a personal wager to settle," Lelouch continued, raising his gaze again. "What is it you wish to ask me?"

He had almost forgotten about the wager. Pursing his lips, Matthew Stadtfeld studied the younger man before him, before he finally spoke.

"How is my daughter?"

Lelouch choked, giving him a look that plainly said 'Are you serious?' before he sighed and nodded along. "She's well, and adjusting easily to school life. Her celebrity status helps compensate for her clear lack of experience in dealing with everyday student life. She's joined the Student Council, alongside myself and several others."

He spoke at length about the activities of the Student Council thus far, finding it easy to speak about such a familiar and, though he hated to admit it, enjoyable experience.

Matthew listened attentively, his expression betraying nothing. When Lelouch finished speaking, he stood up from his chair, inclining his head towards the younger man.

"Thank you," he said tonelessly.

"There's no need to thank me for giving you your rightful winnings," Lelouch responded, a tad tartly as his lips curled upwards in a faint smirk.

"I'll say this, though," Matthew continued, ignoring the quip, as he turned away, "I don't know for certain if you are a danger to her, Lelouch 'Lamperouge', but you are dangerous. Whatever darkness you carry, do not drag my daughter down with you when those sins inevitably catch up to you."

"Speaking from experience about things catching up to you?" Lelouch shot back irritably, his amusement evaporating completely. "Like sleeping with the enemy and losing everything, ending up cast down in a den of gamblers?"

"We all pay for what we've done sooner or later," Matthew agreed, pulling his coat around himself tighter, still with his back to the younger man. "I'll be here next week, same time, if you feel so inclined… your highness."

And with that he left the ex-prince stewing in his seat. Lelouch glanced down at the chessboard which still prominently featured his defeat, the black king toppled, the white queen victorious above him.

_We all pay for what we've done…_ Lelouch thought to himself somberly, and shivered.

00000

Shirley Fenette gripped the reassuring weight of the controls of the _Amalthea _tightly, bracing herself for the machine's unbelievable level of speed as she maneuvered it about the large, empty warehouse they had cordoned off specifically for her training.

This was her fourth test run with the Knightmare, and she still had to adjust both physically and mentally to the higher specs- the first time she had tried using the _Amalthea_ she accidentally destroyed a wall and nearly killed several of General Darlton's trainees who had been on the other side.

The _Amalthea _was near instantaneous with its reactions- if she even began to move the control yokes left, the _Amalthea_ would already be moving in that direction, as though her thoughts and the actions of the machine were as one, to say nothing of the sheer speed.

In her head, she remembered the smooth, near-organic motions of both the _Amateratsu _and _Jinchuu_'s own Knightmare- and Shirley was willing to bet that her _Amalthea _was faster than either.

Of course, there were downsides to being lighter and more agile- her Knightmare's primary weapons, the bladed extensions on the underside of her arms which would swing out and extend, were lighter than Stun Tonfas and would probably break if she struck an opponent incorrectly. The rest of her armament was similarly stripped down to keep the Amalthea maneuverable- she had recessed 9mm guns in the torso, and only a single Slash Harken mounted atop the right arm.

The really interesting change was a back-mounted thruster pack that gave the machine its true speed and maneuverability- upon reading the initial instructional messages in the onboard computer, Shirley learned that the thrusters were under a 50% power limiter, obviously one of the safety measures that had been installed in the past seven years.

In short, it was built for a soldier who preferred swift, brutal close combat work, with nearly all of the defensive options restricted to how well the pilot could maneuver- perfect for the soldier known as Marianne the Flash.

Marianne the Flash… once known as Marianne Lamperouge. Lelouch's mother and one of the Empresses of old Brittania.

How could someone with that kind of heritage running through his veins be hidden so well in plain sight? Princes and princesses were part of another person's life, not Shirley Fenette's, and yet here she was, taking orders from a princess to assassinate a prince.

_Damn it, I should have just let him die back in the tunnels a month ago,_ Shirley thought irritably to herself. Ever since that day her life had grown ever more complicated- the black and white world of us versus them mentality she had lived in was muddling into a study in grays.

Life was simpler before Lelouch Lamperouge.

With a frustrated sigh, Shirley disengaged from the controls, easing the _Amalthea_ against the wall. Once it powered down she clambered out of the machine, shaking her head, releasing her long hair from the tight bun she had held it in for the test- in reality she should have gotten it cut short years ago, but there was a small part of her that remembered how much her mother loved her hair long, and each time the scissors were put away.

She was dressed today in a simple, no-nonsense jumpsuit, the kind used by mechanics that fit loosely around her slender frame- Shirley never understood the need for those restricting piloting suits that the actual military used.

"Fenette," Darlton called out gruffly, greeting her with a nod, standing just off to the side. He was dressed comfortably in gray military fatigues, the muted colors fitting his image of a grizzled veteran soldier.

"General," Shirley responded, saluting smartly.

Thus far General Darlton had been the one overseeing her training with the _Amalthea_- Shirley had not spoken with Commander Cornelia since their intense discussion and the revelation about Lelouch's heritage.

In a way, it made it easier- the Commander was obviously intent on killing Lelouch, which only made Shirley hesitate more, as her innate curiosity got the better of her, wondering what horrible crime Lelouch committed to earn the ire of a living blood relative and be blamed for the past seven years of living under occupied rule.

"You're progressing well with the machine," Darlton rumbled, giving her a faint smile of approval. "I'm honestly impressed you've managed to adapt to it so well- I had believed no one would be capable of bringing out the potential of that beast."

"It's trickier than I thought, but so far I think whatever safety precautions you had installed are making things easier," Shirley replied genially, bowing her head in faint embarrassment at the praise.

"Walk with me a bit, Fenette," Darlton said quietly, turning on his heel.

Shirley followed him down the hallway with an obedient nod, falling instinctually into a half-step behind him, a gesture of respect she found rather easy to make.

"I wanted to speak to you about the mission," Darlton continued, once they had left the hangar.

"I understand my role well enough sir," Shirley said immediately, "I'll be able to pilot the _Amalthea_ well enough by the end of this week for Operation Tower."

Operation Tower was the code name given to the rescue mission Cornelia was planning for Prince Clovis- Shirley was one of the integral components of that mission, as the power of the _Amalthea_ would be necessary to counter the Japanese Knightmare Frames.

"I didn't mean that mission, Fenette," Darlton corrected, his voice without rebuke, "I meant your… other assignment."

And back to Lelouch Lamperouge again, it seemed.

"What do you mean, General?" Shirley asked neutrally, keeping her voice even as she avoided meeting his eyes when he glanced back at her.

"I have been with the Commander since the very literal beginning of her military career- she is my student and protégé. She has a strong grasp of tactics and a keen mind for battle… but she is also extremely passionate, and in this, I believe she is compromised severely, and in doing so compromised you as well," Darlton explained, and held up a hand to silence Shirley as she began to protest. "No, I am not going to circumvent the Commander's authority- that is not my place. But I will caution you to take stock of Lelouch Lamperouge with your own eyes rather than through a colored lens."

"Did you know him?" Shirley questioned, frowning.

Darlton sighed, and his stern face held a melancholy expression to it. "I had been put in charge of the boy's military education before the invasion began, a standard part of the upbringing of any prince. Like the Commander, Lelouch was my student, and to be honest, the very best I've ever had."

"Better than the Commander?" Shirley blurted out, before she could stop herself. It was just so surprising to hear that about a boy her own age, who barely seemed motivated to organize the student council, let alone battles.

"Princess Cornelia's grasp of tactics is good, and she knows how to fight- nine out of ten commanders would fall to her," Darlton said slowly, "Lelouch however… Lelouch was the kind of strategist that can't be taught or trained. He was born for it. He could think like an opponent, and then turn those thoughts against you. And he was innovative- I used to give him no-win scenarios, which I had used in the past to teach humility and the lesson that not all battles can be won. But Lelouch… he beat every no-win scenario I had thought of. Sometimes by finding loopholes, sometimes through a gamble I hadn't considered, but always winning- the idea that he couldn't win a battle simply never entered his mind. He was a conqueror at age twelve, waiting to take his place on the stage."

Shirley listened attentively, and studied the grizzled old general's face as he spoke about Lelouch. There was a hint of fondness in those eyes, mixed with that same melancholy as before.

She was at a loss for words now- how could all these people have so many different opinions about Lelouch Lamperouge? Which was the real Lelouch?

"The only equal I had seen was Prince Schneizel," Darlton continued, almost as an afterthought, "Who had turned away from a life in the military to pursue politics- a vastly more dangerous arena, in my opinion."

"So are you saying I shouldn't kill him once I learn what he knows?" Shirley asked, after a long silence, her voice holding a trace of a weary sigh.

"I'm saying he deserves a fair hearing. What he deserves after that is a question I don't think I can answer- my house and my own life have been devoted to the Imperial family for as long as I can remember. My loyalties are… divided here," Darlton said in reply, obviously struggling with how he could explain his own dilemma. "Perhaps you can judge him where I and the Commander cannot, as an innocent who was wronged indirectly by his actions, pure of politics and old memories."

Darlton came to a stop as the hallway ended, and turned to her with a respectful salute. "This is where I take my leave of you then, Fenette. There are still trainees who need to finish their afternoon exercises."

Without waiting for a response, he turned sharply on his heel and started down the hallway, just as Shirley called out to him.

"What did he do?" Shirley asked loudly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Just what did Lelouch _do_?"

"Hear it from his own lips, in his own words," Darlton replied, without turning back. "And that's when you'll know whether the answer is the kind hand of forgiveness… or the cold mercy of a bullet."

00000

The arrival at Dunkirk was, as expected of a diplomatic meeting between two of the world's superpowers, full of fanfare and news coverage- exactly the things Naoto did not care for. Thankfully, being a military man and in this case the face of the Japanese military, he only had to stand a step behind Kirihara Kaname and look stern for the cameras. Kaname waved and smiled, while Naoto discretely looked over the crowd for any sign of a threat.

There were, of course, Eurasian military standing at the ready as an honor guard to welcome them onto Federation soil. An entire platoon of Einherjar's infantry, part of the 105th Airborne, identified by their company standard flying high, was on guard, along with a full complement of Knightmare Frames.

_This is a full company of Knightmares, _Naoto observed, his mouth set in a thin line.

Eurasian Knightmare Frames were less streamlined and human-like than the Japanese types. These particular ones were RI-78 Panzer Blatt models, and vaguely resembled toads with their teardrop shaped heads and rotund oval bodies, and were colored a drab, dull rust color. Spec-wise they didn't match up to the capabilities of the standard Shinran Knightmare, given that they were designed to be more fuel efficient in regards to the usage of Sakuradite energy fillers rather than to max out the power of the Yggsdril Drive, but they were cheaper to manufacture almost by half, and Naoto had heard rumor that the Panzer Blatt required almost no training to pilot.

Looking at them set his teeth on edge almost instantly, his fists clenching around a gun that was still holstered.

"Relax, Naoto-kun," Kaname said softly, without turning to look at him. "We're here as guests."

_ Guests in a lion's den, maybe,_ Naoto thought cynically, but he kept his expression neutral. The delegation from their side consisted only of Kaname, himself, and a few of Kaname's advisors. Sancia, the rest of Naoto's command staff, and even Captain Shiroyama were forced to stay behind for now, as none of them had the social or political standing to be seen in this kind of high-profile event.

Waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp connecting the_ Murasaki_ to the dock was Senator Thomas Dantes along with a contingent of officials who smiled like sharks circling fresh meat.

The Senator was an elderly man, his large, round belly looking barely held in check by his expensive silk shirt and dark jacket. His cheeks were red from the cold ocean air, and he held out a large, porky hand to Kaname as he smiled.

"Kaname-san. A pleasure to meet you," Thomas said in greeting, his Japanese stilted with an awkward French accent.

"Senator. Thank you for this warm reception," Kaname replied easily, smiling, and began to make introductions that Naoto barely paid attention to, and spoke little during.

And then suddenly a voice broke through the haze, and a young man probably around Naoto's own age stood in front of him, smiling handsomely.

"Commander Kouzuki Naoto-kun, isn't it? A pleasure," the man said warmly, and Naoto noticed him standing just a little apart from Kaname and the Senator's group, indicating just the tiniest bit of difference between them.

"I'm sorry, and you are…" Naoto said awkwardly, caught- he hadn't really expected to talk much at this little meet and greet, preferring to let Kaname talk.

"Ah, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself- Arthur Camlann, Secretary of the Interior for the Eurasian Senate. I'm assisting with the negotiations," Arthur said calmly, smiling genially. His longish hair was a light shade of brown, his face dominated by a prominent nose and strong jaw line, with a short, sharp beard. He was powerfully built and tall, at least a good few inches taller than Naoto, and probably outweighed him as well by twenty pounds or more.

But the man's eyes were what caught Naoto off guard- they were purple, deep purple, exactly the same shade as one Lelouch Lamperouge, and had the same measure of glimmering intelligence lurking beneath the surface.

"Commander?"

Naoto suddenly remembered himself, and realized that Arthur had been holding out his hand in the Western style greeting. Trying to recover himself, Naoto took the hand with a firm grip and shook.

"Ah… forgive me, it's been a long trip," Naoto said apologetically. "A pleasure."

"No apologies necessary, Commander. I simply wanted to meet and greet with you personally, without those bothersome old men hanging around us," Arthur said with a conspiratorial tone of voice, smirking, acting for all the world as though they were old friends who had not seen each other in a long while.

"I'm sorry, but you seem to be familiar with me... have we met before?" Naoto questioned. He didn't remember the man at all, but there was always an off chance that some social meeting between the Federation and the Empire had made them passing acquaintances.

"No, but I've heard of your work. I like to follow the members of our generation who have made such far advances in the world- people like you, me, and of course our dear honored guest," Arthur finished, flicking an indicating glance at Kaname, who was now taking a photo opportunity with the press. "We are the future, after all."

Naoto was really not sure what to say to that. Thankfully, Kaname called out to him, wanting him to be a part of a photo for the press- and for once, Naoto wasn't too annoyed by the invitation.

"Forgive me, but I must see to the Representative," Naoto said, playing the role of the dutiful officer to a fault.

"Of course," Arthur said generously, stepping aside and gesturing towards the media circus. "Please, no apologies necessary. I hope we can talk again later, Commander."

"I'm sure we can. Good day, Secretary." Naoto bowed in response respectfully, and met Arthur's eyes again, once more being struck by how similar they were in shade and shape to Lelouch's.

As he made his way back over to Kaname, the man smiled widely. "Ah, Naoto-kun, come! I think the press is finally getting my good side!"

Sycophantic laughs erupted all around, both from the Federation representatives and the reporters buzzing around them. Kaname's magic was at work once again.

As he obediently moved in closer to the group, Kaname spoke without looking at him, in a voice so low only they could hear.

"Making friends with Camlann, are you? That one is ambitious, Naoto-kun- you should be careful not to end up as his latest pawn."

Naoto kept smiling for the cameras, but his mind whirred with possibilities. Kaname knew the man by sight alone- he had to be more than another the bureaucrat or paper pusher for that kind of recognition.

Of course, there was an implication in that statement that Naoto did not like- that Naoto was to avoid being the pawn of one politician so he could be useful to another.

"I serve the Empire," Naoto said finally, his voice carefully neutral.

"As we all do," Kaname agreed, smiling widely for the cameras. "As we all do."

00000

"Did you send Weinberg-san and the others the information?" Suzaku questioned, absently rolling his neck to work out an ache that had settled in there around the first hour of the traditional Japanese dinner he had been attending while Milly was gathering reconnaissance.

"Doing it now, Suzaku-sama," Milly said patiently, in a long-suffering tone of voice.

They were in the Knightmare transport truck which Milly had acquired and shipped, with the _Caliburn_ inside, on a separate plane that had already been wiped from the airport's records- again, Milly's work.

Where she had learned this kind of espionage, Suzaku was not certain, and was fairly certain he didn't want to know either.

"And the plan…" Suzaku murmured. "I hope Weinberg-san can get the prisoners clear of the factory before I set off the Sakuradite…"

The plan, as Milly had conceived it, was straightforward- the Dudley factory was a Sakuradite treatment and refinement facility for the deep sea Sakuradite mining operations in Iceland, and as such had large stores of the highly combustible substance. All it would take was a few explosive charges to set it off, and in doing so destroy an important facility, cost the Empire probably a billion yen in lost equipment and Sakuradite, and send a message. The Brittanian Liberation Front's objective was to clear the prisoners beforehand to keep them from being caught in the explosion, while Suzaku and the _Caliburn_ would be charged with clearing the resistance in the main factory and planting the explosives.

It was, Suzaku had to admit, quite good.

"How do you _do_ these things," Suzaku muttered, half to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Maybe I'm secretly a spy sent to watch over you for the plans of a mysterious supernatural order," Milly deadpanned, smiling without looking over at him. "A femme fatale you trust with your life."

"My laundry, maybe," Suzaku joked, and earned a smack on the arm for his trouble.

"Seriously though, I am good, huh?" Milly preened, settling back into her seat. "It's so simple that even you can follow along. Run in, kill some guards, save the prisoners, blow up the factory."

"It does sound simple," Suzaku agreed, feeling somewhat at ease. "Hopefully things will go smoothly and-"

"You just jinxed yourself," Milly warned, interrupting him with a slight glare. "You know that now my elegant plan is going to be ruined by some unforeseen catastrophe, like a meteor falling on your head or something."

"That's…" Suzaku considered it for a moment, and then finally sighed. "Probably right. But I still want to hope things will work out tonight."

Milly gave him a pitying look in exchange, and he scowled. "How much farther?"

"We're almost there. Our 'friends' should have landed by now, and they'll be meeting us there within the hour. It's almost showtime, boss," Milly reported cheerily.

00000

"Ugh, Rivalz, couldn't you have negotiated with Roger to arrange at least a little more roomy transportation?" Gino complained, wrinkling his nose as he tried to shift so that he wasn't getting Kewell's elbows in his ribs or Rivalz's legs tangled with his own as he stood.

The three of them, plus several members of Gino's personal resistance cell, were crammed into the front section of a cargo plane, which was also holding the group's three Knightmare Frames and assorted small arms for the mission. The plane had just touched down at a private airstrip, with the air traffic control tower having been paid off ahead of time to cover their tracks.

"Sorry," Rivalz apologized, grunting as he moved away from Gino, "I was hoping that Lelouch beating the Gentleman would throw Roger off enough for us to get a discount so we could get more than one plane. Instead he lost, so Roger kept his prices as is for us to use his plane."

"The man's a parasite," Kewell muttered irritably, heading towards the back of the compartment to check on the large, heavy plastic boxes which carried their equipment. "We fight for the country, and he makes a profit."

"Wars can't be won without merchants," Gino muttered, rolling his eyes, still trying to work out the soreness in his neck. "Weren't you the one who said that to me once?"

"It doesn't mean I have to like it," Kewell deadpanned.

Rivalz chuckled, and even Gino cracked a smile at that.

Their amusement quickly faded, however, as Gino's phone buzzed, chiming with his email alert signal.

"That's him then?" Rivalz asked, unable to keep the excited tone out of his voice as he leaned over Gino eagerly.

"_Jinchuu_," someone breathed in the back- probably Maxwell, Gino guessed, though he didn't turn around to look. "He really contacted us, boss?"

"Guess that means we really are meeting up with him tonight for this mission," Gino finally said, as his eyes passed over the email, selecting the attachment, which brought up a series of images and an outline of the plan as it stood.

"I saw the videos of his speech," Rivalz said, almost absently. "He seems like a good guy. I mean, not like a good person, but more like… it felt right. What he was doing. Like everything he did was for a higher cause."

"You should remember, Cardemonde, that_ our _cause is freedom. His is justice- or what that single man decides is justice, anyway," Kewell said stoically, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "He's dangerous."

"But he's also powerful," Gino cut in, glancing at Kewell with a warning look. "And right now he's offering us a chance to do some damage."

"You know what I don't get is boss," Rivalz muttered, glancing over at Gino with a furrowed brow. "It's that… if we know this factory is here, and all those prisoners are being held in the homeland… why hasn't anyone done anything about this?"

Gino sighed, shaking his head. "It's complicated, Rivalz. Kewell, you explain it better than I can."

Kewell nodded crisply, his face still set in a determined but otherwise placid mask, obviously still irritated at Rivalz's words about Jinchuu.

"Because the factory brings money and jobs, Cardemonde," he answered. "Maybe it doesn't help the prisoners inside, but Dudley was utterly wrecked by the Three Month War, and the establishment of this facility led to a large migration of wealthy Japanese to this town, who need paid workers for their stores, their drivers, and so on and so forth. The Brittanians here are too comfortable with their way of life now to care about the suffering of their countrymen."

Rivalz paused, listening attentively to Kewell's words. As the older man finished, Rivalz turned back towards Gino and said, "You know, that actually isn't that complicated."

Gino scowled, and Kewell's lips twitched ever so slightly in amusement.

"Let's just get moving," the blonde muttered, rolling his eyes as he and Kewell both ambled towards their Knightmares, with Rivalz electing to drive one of the large trucks they had requisitioned and had brought to the airport with the express intention of using them to transport the prisoners out of the factory.

Gino clambered inside his suit with practiced ease, double checking all the systems before he began moving, a practice ingrained in his head that was as automatic as breathing.

When he was satisfied and everyone else had finished their own preparation, they set off for the factory, traveling in relative silence- no one felt like bantering or making small talk right before a mission, and in fact they got all the way up to within a mile of the factory before anyone spoke, and even then, it was on business.

"I see the rendezvous point. A black Japanese military truck with no other markings," Kewell reported, having taken point. "I guess that's him."

"I wonder where he got his hands on military hardware from the Empire," Gino murmured thoughtfully, even as he switched over to the encrypted radio channel that had been attached to the mission information. "This is Gino Weinberg, of the Brittanian Liberation Front. Code word: albatross."

"Rain," came the reply, and Gino was thoroughly impressed withJinchuu'_s_ level of training if he had even come up with select code words with which to identify and confirm each other's identities.

They settled in formation around the truck, which opened up slowly to reveal the impressive machine that had caused so much trouble to the Japanese already.

Gino felt a thrill of trepidation as he watched the _Caliburn_ rise out of the transport, its organic movements a strong reminder of how powerful this thing really was compared to their clunky, outdated De Dannan's.

"It's good to see you again, Weinberg," Jinchuu said over the channel, a faint note of warmth in the voice. "I'm glad to see the BLF has decided to put its faith in me."

"And we're glad that you decided to team up with us," Gino replied cheerily, grinning. "Now let's go be heroes, huh?"

Jinchuu chuckled, and turned his Knightmare towards the factory. "You know the plan, I assume. Let's get started then, if you're so eager. May I have the explosives, please?"

Gino's grin widened. "Yessir. They're in the truck to your left, help yourself."

As Jinchuu did just that, Gino turned towards the rest of his men and and ordered briskly, "Oi, Rivalz. You and your team are going to follow me and Kewell in. We gotta hit them fast and hard so they can't alert the guards while our buddy here makes his way inside."

"Gotcha boss man," Rivalz said cheerily, doing as he was bid.

Kewell followed him in, and Gino spotted the far watchtower with his Factsphere, targeting it and firing off a few rounds to destroy it. Kewell followed suit with another tower to the left, taking it out with his own rifle.

As Gino and Kewell took down the guards in the towers, Jinchuu was already blazing forward, smashing through the thick wire mesh of the fence as though it were rotted string, and then launching an energy blast from its sword at the guard barracks to the right of the gate.

As Jinchuu pressed on towards the factory itself, attacking the towers opposite the gate they entered through, Gino and Kewell, with Rivalz and the convoy of trucks behind them, stormed the gates, firing at the barracks to finish off the rush of survivors who would no doubt be scrambling to mount a counterattack-

"Wait, something's not right," Gino murmured, ceasing fire on the burning building. "Where are the guards? Even if we hit them hard and fast, there should be some kind of reaction…"

"My lord, over there," Kewell said quickly, sending over an indicator ping through the Knightmare's computer, and Gino's screen magnified the image of several corpses at one of the other gatehouses, each of them killed not with the powerful rounds of a Knightmare's rifle but by small caliber arms.

"What the… we didn't do this," Gino said in bewilderment, and hailed Jinchuu over the radio. "Hey, uh… Jinchuu. Something's come up that you might want to take a look at…"

00000

"N-no! Please!"

"Question! What do people value most?" Luciano asked, fingers resting lightly on the trigger of the sawed off shotgun he carried easily in his hand, pointing it directly at the kneeling man's face, pressing it against the sweat soaked skin of his forehead.

The scene around them was utter carnage. Stainless steel metal tables were draped with broken glass containers and an array of the corpses of the lab technicians who had been using them. The cold concrete floor was decorated with blood and bullet shell casings.

The final lab technician Luciano had kept alive after he had first walked in the door, guns glazing, sweeping through the room in gleeful, but military-precise carnage shivered beneath his manic gaze, his horn rimmed glasses nearly slipping off his nose with how badly he was shaking.

"Oh come on, it's no fun if you don't answer!" Luciano complained, moving the gun away for a moment as he rolled his eyes. "I don't ask it just for my own amusement, you know. I want to know!"

His rant was interrupted by the calm, cool voice of Marika.

"Lord Luciano… sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have word from our men who took over the security cameras," the blonde informed him, passing along a handheld two-way radio.

"I'll be right there," Luciano muttered, turning back towards the man with a dispassionate expression as he pulled the trigger, looking utterly bored as droplets of blood and gore splattered against his cheek.

"That was no fun at all," he complained, as the body fell to the floor and he put the radio to his ear, not even bothering to wipe away the blood. "So, what's wrong?"

_"S-sir! We have Knightmares at the front gate! One of them is that Jinchuu guy who's been on the news!"_ came the panicked cry._ "They seem to be focused on attacking the factory and going after the prisoners, but who knows what would happen if they find us."_

A light flickered in Luciano's eyes as his mouth slowly formed a demonic grin. "Alright, well, now we're talking. Looks like I can take care of two pieces of business today."

Marika frowned as she stepped closer to him, taking the radio that he silently passed over to her. "But sir, the equipment you received from the Rosenbaum Institute isn't here at the moment…"

"Marika, please, I'm a man who can make do without fancy pieces of tech," Luciano scoffed, rolling his eyes. "They're neat toys, but there are ways to capture Knightmares without relying on something the eggheads at the Institute created. I want our men setting up around the main factory floor. I'll let them know what the plan is. And get me a line to the big man. He'll want to talk to this guy."

00000

_"Suzaku-sama… are you sure you should be going into the factory alone?"_ Milly questioned over the radio, a note of concern in her otherwise normally carefree tone. _"You should have taken some backup since you actually have some with you this time."_

"Even if the guards are dead, it doesn't change our plan. In fact, it helps us, I think. We have to get those prisoners clear of this place now, more than ever, really," Suzaku refuted, shaking his head. "I won't compromise on this."

Milly hummed and there was a note of unspoken disapproval in her tone, but she said nothing and the link went dead.

Suzaku sighed. She wasn't happy about it, but Milly would understand. He gunned the engine and pushed forward onto the factory floor, towards the Sakuradite holding containers. The pathways were narrow and difficult to navigate due to the sheer number of machines filling it up, several of which were bigger than a Knightmare, and the _Caliburn_ had already run into and trampled several conveyor belts in its path.

In truth, though, things were happening faster than Suzaku thought, with the nearly complete lack of resistance they were facing. Weinberg's men found a small token resistance of guards in the holding area, but it had fallen quickly due to their superior firepower and they were starting the evacuation of the factory's prisoners, leaving Suzaku to the demolition of the facility.

"It's just all too easy," Suzaku had to admit, and, just as he spoke, the motion tracker pinged and he whirled about-

Just in time for a series of blinding, deafening snaps to go off all around him with a furious display of white light.

_Flashbangs_, Suzaku thought, shutting his eyes to the searing light-

And a powerful explosion rocked the front of the _Caliburn_, slamming it backwards, followed by a heavy weight that collapsed onto the already unsteady Knightmare Frame, sending it to the floor with an uproarious crash.

"Ouch!" came a voice from a loudspeaker, as Suzaku attempted to regain his bearings and pull the _Caliburn_ upright. "See, like I told you, Marika, we don't have to attack the super-powered machine. Just the pilot inside. He's only human, after all."

"W-where…" Suzaku managed, shaking his head dizzily, still disoriented badly by the assault on his senses, pushing feebly on the control yokes.

"Ah, don't try to get up now, Mister Jinchuu. There are people who want a word with you," came the cheery voice once again.

"Who the hell are you?" Suzaku demanded angrily, his fury managed to suppress the feelings of unsteadiness and help him regain some of his composure.

"Ah, well, you can call me Lucaino Bradley, my good man," was the reply. "I arranged this little powwow for you and my boss."

"B-boss?" Suzaku blinked, momentarily stymied on his efforts to break free from the rubble that had pinned him to the floor. He remembered the name Luciano Bradley from the news reports- that was the man who had taken the Kojiki airport hostage and nearly killed them all with a Sakuradite bomb.

And that man was working for someone?

A completely different, deeper, more rough tone came over the speakers now, sounding vaguely artificial, as though it were being broadcast through another channel. "To the pilot of that machine. Greetings."

Suzaku frowned, ignoring the voice and pushing harder against the heavy machine, feeling it shift slightly above him. The disorientation from the flashbangs was ebbing away, and his strength of will returned.

"I apologize for the rough treatment you suffered so far, but I was not sure you would deign to talk with me if we did not take measures to restrain you," the man continued, seemingly uncaring of Suzaku's use of the silent treatment. "But I wished to speak with you in regards to that machine… where did you get it?"

"Why should I tell you?" Suzaku snarled back irritably.

"Was it V.V.? Is he the one sending you after our shipments? Are you an agent of the Order?" the man pressed, and Suzaku's anger was inflamed at how easily the man ignored his fury.

"I'm not answering your damn questions!" he snapped, renewing his efforts to break free.

"I'll remind you you're at our mercy right now, sir," came the calm, measured reply. "Answer our questions."

"I don't know who the hell you're talking about! Who are you people?" Suzaku shouted back, but his concentration slipped and the heavy machine the _Caliburn _was trying to push off of itself slipped back down on top of him, crushing him to the floor again.

The man over the loudspeaker was silent for a long while, and then, in an amazed voice, "You don't know anything."

_Need to… find a different way to get free…_ Suzaku thought to himself frustratedly, gritting his teeth, trying to figure something out.

A command prompt suddenly popped up on the screen of the Caliburn's monitor, drawing Suzaku's attention.

_(Redirecting power to points B5 through E6. Increase willpower input into Homunculus Drive_)

"What the…"

The voice from the speakers came on again, interrupting his thoughts. "Well, while I can't really believe it myself, it appears you have no connection to the Order or its master. And if that's the case… I think perhaps we can work out a deal."

Suzaku, wanting to buy time to figure out what the hell the _Caliburn _was trying to tell him about willpower inputs or whatever, asked, "What kind of deal?"

"You want to destroy Japan. What I want is… similar. Agree to work with Luciano here for a time, and you will see the Japanese occupation in this country fall," the man said simply.

Suzaku frowned, distracted from his efforts to get free yet again. "You want me to work for you- and do what? Because I saw how you and your people operate at the airport last week."

"It was a necessary step," was the toneless reply.

"Nearly killing hundreds of innocent people is necessary?" Suzaku demanded, the very idea of that setting his teeth on edge.

Unnoticed by Suzaku, the edges of the _Caliburn_'s limbs began to glow a faint blue.

"Surely you can see there will be sacrifices along the way to achieving any goal," the man said, sounding vaguely surprised at his challenge. "You won't free this country without sacrifices made in blood."

"The only people who should die are the ones who are evil!" Suzaku refuted, his fury building. "I fight for justice, but you can't call killing innocents justice!"

"And who decides what is justice? You? The people?" the man scoffed, laughing mockingly. "You'll quickly find, sir, that the meaning of justice is as fluid and vapid as the hearts of men. Dedicating yourself to such a naïve ideal will only lead you to fight countless losing battles, alone, and betrayed."

"I'm not fighting for any kind of approval, or because I want to win battles," Suzaku shouted in rebuttal, and the _Caliburn_'s arms were shining now with that azure light. The weight of the machine pinning him down seemed far less now, and with a final shout, Suzaku pushed it off of him and returned his Knightmare Frame to its feet.

The floor felt oddly slick beneath the machine, but in his fury, Suzaku ignored it.

"Impressive," the man on the loudspeakers commented unconcernedly.

With a snarl, Suzaku drew forth the _Caliburn_'s longsword and swung it towards the control room window above him, where Luciano stood smiling, the physical representative of the voice Suzaku had been arguing with this entire time.

"I'm fighting because someone has to stand up to them," Suzaku said slowly, his voice edged with steel. "Someone has to fight for what's right, without compromise."

"Well then, it seems we're at an impasse," the man said with a sincere sounding sigh. "Pity. And since we have nothing more to say to you, we'll be taking our leave. Goodbye, foolish knight. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon enough."

In the window, Luciano grinned, waved, and held up a lit match, which he tossed out the window of the control room.

'Bye bye', he mouthed gleefully, and Suzaku's eyes barely had time to widen before he realized that the slick feeling he had noticed earlier was liquid Sakuradite oozing out from the now punctured holding tanks.

In a panicked rush, Suzaku dashed forward, using the _Caliburn _to block the fall of the lit match before it could connect with the extremely volatile Sakuradite. He looked up, already knowing he would no longer see Luciano's face in the window- the man had used the match as a simple distraction to make his escape.

Above them, he could hear the distant thumping beats of a helicopter's blades.

_They've escaped,_ Suzaku thought, setting his mouth in a deep frown.

_"Hey! Jinchuu!"_ the radio crackled, and Weinberg's voice chirped through. _"We've got all the prisoners- you can blow this joint at any time."_

Suzaku stayed silent, still focused on the bewildering exchange he had just experienced.

_"Uh… Jinchuu? You there man?" _

Suzaku shook his head, trying to ignore the growing feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, and finally responded. "Y-yes, I'm here Weinberg."

_"You run into any problems?"_ Weinberg sounded oddly concerned. _"You sound kind of shaky."_

"It's nothing," Suzaku denied quietly. "I'm destroying the factory now- you'd best get clear."

Weinberg noticeably hesitated before acknowledging his instructions, but finally he said, _"Alright then. We'll withdraw then. Weinberg out."_

Suzaku ignored him, moving towards the Sakuradite holding tanks- even punctured and leaking, the explosives would still be able to reduce most of the factory to useless rubble.

As he set the charges, those last words came back to him again.

_"Goodbye, foolish knight. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon enough."_

Suzaku shivered. He had no doubts about that.

Author's Notes

In response to the past few reviews about this being Ohgi… Okay so I had a massive brain fart and forgot Ohgi's given name, but just for reference here, Kirihara Kaname=/ Ohgi Kaname. Different people. I promise. Sometimes I lie, but not in this circumstance. Same first name, different people. There's no One Steve Limit here.


	15. Chapter 14: The Kids Are Alright

_"The hardest part about growing up is letting go with what you have been accustomed to and moving on with something that you haven't experienced yet."_

-Anonymous

Chapter 14

The Kids Are Alright

_"Hey boss? Do you hear a helicopter?"_ Rivalz called out over the radio, sounding worried.

Gino paused, tilting his head to the side as he strained his ears to hear the sound of the helicopter. "Yeah… yeah I do. It sounds like it's coming from the factory."

Briefly, he considered asking Jinchuu what was wrong- but they had just finished speaking, and the man had sounded distracted as is.

Besides, they had other issues to think about.

Gino and Kewell had disembarked their Knightmares to break into the prison facility, where they had met with minimal resistance from a few scattered, distracted guards who were likely just as confused as to why the alarms hadn't gone off as they were.

They made it up to the prisoner's block without any real problems- the area was barely more than a long, narrow corridor with cells barely capable of allowing a man to walk six steps in any given direction crammed with four or more people.

The stink of it alone, the pungent odor of so much misery and suffering compacted in this place was something Gino felt a bit of bile attempt to rise in his throat at the smell of.

The real problem came next- they had not been prepared for the prisoners. They had known about the numbers, and Kewell had even postulated they would be weak and spineless from being imprisoned for so long.

But the reality was so much worse than they thought.

They were weakly thin, true, and many sported the marks of numberless petty cruelties. People with fresh and faded scars crisscrossing their unnaturally pale skin from nicks and cuts that Gino guessed came either from the knives of a soldier or the sharp edges of a machine. Some had obvious bruises on their faces worn without ceremony, on men and women alike without discrimination or pity.

But it was the eyes that struck Gino the hardest. Even in the worst areas of the city, where half a dozen homeless and starving people could be found on any given street corner, their eyes weren't like these prisoners. In the city, people were hungry, maybe even desperate, but they still tried to survive any way they could.

Blank, unfeeling maws that hurt to even meet with your gaze, when these prisoners even bothered to look up from their downcast gaze fixated upon the concrete floor, as if the action of raising their eyes was a sin.

Gino's team had ushered them into the trucks without any problem, if only because none of them even seemed active enough to even really consider they were escaping. Some, somewhat livelier in relative to the others, managed to whisper hoarse words of thanks and move with grateful touches against Gino's skin.

"It's like they're already dead," Gino murmured to himself, shaking his head as he climbed back inside his Knightmare Frame.

Gino wasn't so sure they had actually saved anyone today, and certainly not anyone capable currently of fighting for their side at the moment. It wasn't like a cheap film, where there would be gruff, weathered veterans eager and willing to strike back against the enemy the minute they were out of confinement- in reality, there were hardly any people in the world with that kind of willpower to keep their spirit against all odds.

_Real life just doesn't work that way,_ Gino thought grimly, shaking his head.

Gino had barely gotten his Knightmare up and running when Jinchuu appeared, bursting out of the factory with hurried steps of his machine, each loud step resounding through the night.

The prisoners' head jerked up at the sound, and several actually looked in awe for a moment, their expressionless masks cracking for a moment.

_"Is this everyone?" _Jinchuu questioned tersely.

"Yeah," Gino answered, feeling worried at the tone. "The charges are set then?"

_"Yes. Let me speak to them before we finish here_," Jinchuu said softly, and the _Caliburn _turned towards the assembled group before Gino could even acknowledge the request.

00000

Suzaku felt a tremor run through his veins as he prepared himself. It wasn't a shiver of fear holding him, however. Rather, the sight of these people, broken down, robbed of their freedom for these past seven years, drove his blood into a boil and caused his hands to shake with rage.

_This is what the Empire does_, Suzaku reminded himself, his teeth set on edge_. This is the reality I am fighting against. _

He would never forget that. Ever.

"You are free," he said loudly, through the speakers. "As of this moment, the Empire no longer holds your lives in its hands. You are no longer their prisoners."

But he could see the defeat in their eyes.

He spoke louder, passion and fury mounting in his tone. "They have taken much from you. But they did not break you. You are here. You are alive. And they are dead. This factory, and all who made it, have been judged as evil by the sight of men. And we have come to deliver their judgment."

He had barely finished speaking when a deafening explosion erupted from the factory and flames belched forth from every orifice, punctuating the sentence perfectly. The wave of light illuminated the night sky, and, though only for an instant, all the eyes in the crowd were enraptured by it.

There was a terrible vastness in Suzaku's voice now, the incarnation of a hot and dark rage that lurked in the secret corners of his heart, festering like a cancer.

"I am Jinchuu. I am the judgment of men, and I have come to avenge you."

Even over the roar of the flame, his voice was clear as day, and no one could tear their gaze away from that golden machine and its pilot, their eyes pulled unrelentingly toward its awesome power.

Somehow, Suzaku felt that even the mightiest empire in the world might look on him now and shiver.

00000

_ "What did you think of him, Luciano?" _

Luciano didn't even bother looking at the laptop in front of him, where the other man was speaking from a web camera hundreds of miles away. He sat bored against the harness of the helicopter's seat, resting his chin upon his palm.

"He's no fun," came the lackluster reply. "Even trying to set him on fire wasn't that interesting. He's strong enough that we can't really toy with him either."

_"He may be useful to us still, even as an enemy. We cannot move openly yet, but if we were to disguise our intent using the banner of another…"_ the voice trailed off expectantly, letting Luciano draw his own conclusions.

"This is why I work for you boss. For ideas like that," Luciano said, sounding slightly cheerful as he grinned. "In fact I think I've got a way for us to kill two birds with one stone. Did you see that broadcast this morning?"

_"I did,"_ came the reserved answer.

"We can't really have people wringing their hands and smoking the peace pipe when Day Zero rolls around, right?" Luciano continued, leaning back into his chair. "And with so very many factions already in play…"

_ "What are you getting at, Luciano?"_ asked the voice impatiently.

"I'm saying, there's a nice fog of war already. Let's just turn the battle chaos up so when we do make our move, no one sees it coming, as they're all too busy going for each other's throats," Luciano finished, rubbing his hands together, his eyes feverishly bright with murderous anticipation.

There was a few moments of contemplative silence, before the voice spoke again.

_ "What do you need?"_

00000

Suzaku wasn't sure if there were worse ways to be woken up than by the insistent ringing of a phone next to your ears, but it definitely had to rank up amongst them. Almost drunkenly, his head aching from the abrupt awakening and the subsequent lack of sleep his body had received, he groped around for his phone blindly, finally landing a hand atop it and pulling it to his ear.

"Yes?" he said irritably, forgetting himself.

"_Oh thank the Emperor above." _

"Kallen?" Suzaku blinked, confused, glancing at the clock. It was barely six in the morning- the dawn light was just barely creeping through the shuttered windows. "What is it?"

_"What is it?"_ Kallen's voice had that 'are you a complete idiot' tone that she only took when she was seriously upset. _"The factory in Dudley was just attacked by Jinchuu!"_

Suzaku blinked, and quickly scrambled to convincingly portray surprise. "W-what? When?"

_"Just a few hour ago you dunce,"_ Kallen snapped_. "I just got the report. The entire factory and a whole garrison of guards was taken out. All the prisoners have escaped as well- the town's under martial law as of fifteen minutes ago."_

_They reacted fast_, Suzaku thought in wonderment, ignoring her condescending tone. "Wow."

_ "Look, there'll be time to talk about this later. I've got one of the government planes chartered to Dudley right now to pick you up today. It'll land within the hour,"_ Kallen said briskly, her military training showing through in her authoritative tone.

Suzaku frowned. While his personal mission was accomplished now with the destruction of the factory, his overt purpose of diplomacy and spreading goodwill amongst the populace outside of London was far from concluded. And there were other stops that he wanted to make as Jinchuu.

"Kallen… I'm fine. You really didn't have to-" Suzaku began.

_"No. Don't argue with me,"_ Kallen interrupted, her tone suddenly frigid, with an unmistakable air of anger in her voice. _"You are not risking your life out there. Not now. Not you. These orders come straight from the Palace- even you can't defy this."_

_From my father,_ Suzaku understood, and suddenly all he could feel was a sudden, hot flash of fury that had nowhere to turn except at the person he was speaking to.

The Emperor was still treating him like a child to be coddled and used only when it was necessary, like he was still ten and blind to the horrors that his beloved nation was unleashing on the world.

He was Jinchuu now. He fought the Empire. The thinning, haunted faces of the prisoners at the labor camps drifted into his mind's eye, and he felt a fierce defiance burning in his chest.

Not hours ago he promised those people vengeance. If he was to simply go and quietly accept the will of the Emperor now, it would feel like a betrayal of that promise.

"The Emperor isn't in charge here," Suzaku said coldly, a storm furrowing upon his brow as he stood up from his bed. "And I am not going to be hidden away like a child. If Jinchuu attacked, that means that my mission to help ease the minds of the people is more important than ever. Cancel the plane."

He would never bow his head to the Emperor again.

_"Suzaku!"_ Kallen said sharply. _"You may be the governor and the prince, but the Emperor sits on the Chrysanthemum Throne, not you!" _

"The Throne is half a world away. My father doesn't truly care what happens in Brittania, or to me," Suzaku snapped, his jaw clenched tight. The storm had moved from his brow to his gut, begging to be unleashed. "Now cancel the damned plane, Kallen."

_"Damn it Suzaku this is almost treason,"_ Kallen all but snarled, supremely frustrated. _"You know what could happen to you if anyone else heard you countermanding a direct order."_

And suddenly that was all it took to set him off and let loose the furious storm that had been building in his gut.

"I didn't think I was speaking to 'anyone else'!" Suzaku roared back, his anger no longer capable of being reigned in, hot and boiling in his very veins. Any kind of emotional control had long since faded. "I thought I was talking to my friend! But you're the Emperor's dog now, aren't you? You'd rather side with the Empire than with me anyway!"

_"You arrogant ass! Fine, go die in a fire for all I care!"_ Kallen snapped back and the line went dead.

Suzaku, still caught up in the storm of his own rage, shouted wordlessly and hurled the phone against the wall.

"Well that was one hell of a lover's spat."

Suzaku flicked a glance at the door, his anger still simmering hot and heavy. "Milly… how much of that did you hear?"

"Enough. I know the Emperor is a touchy subject for you, but even that kind of response was a little extreme, don't you think?" Milly questioned archly, gliding into the room and picking up his phone. The back had broken and the battery had come out.

"I thought she was my friend first," Suzaku said bitterly. "Not the Emperor's Sword."

"She's both, Suzaku-sama," Milly reminded him respectfully, sighing as she put the phone back together and placed it on the desk. "You tried to force her to make an impossible choice between you and her country."

"It shouldn't be that hard a choice… not if she saw the Empire the way I do," Suzaku muttered, shaking his head.

"Not everyone is capable of that straightforward black and white thinking, master," Milly said quietly, folding her hands primly in her lap as she sat at the desk chair. "She's doing what she thinks is best. Just as you are."

Suzaku gritted his teeth. If only she knew… but now she was in too deep with the Empire. He knew Kallen- her oaths and promises had tied her to the Chrysanthemum Throne absolutely.

"You have a meeting in two hours. Get some sleep, Suzaku-sama," Milly urged him, and left, shutting the door behind her silently, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

00000

Back in London, another phone call was taking place, one considerably less emotionally charged and more concerned with long term objectives.

"And we're sure Suzaku is fine," Lelouch stressed, his brow lined with worry.

Well, not entirely long term.

_"Yes,"_ Naoto said patiently, though Lelouch detected the barest hint of irritation at his persistent questioning.

"Alright, fine. Just asking. Then our next step will be to find where those prisoners have gone," Lelouch said quietly, switching topics easily.

_ "Hold up. Before we start, I want to be clear- you have no sympathies towards those prisoners? None at all?"_ Naoto asked skeptically. _"I won't hold it against you if you have some qualms about hunting down men and women from your own country, you know."_

Lelouch sighed. It wasn't that he didn't expect this kind of question, but answering it was still nothing he wanted to handle.

"You don't have to worry about me," Lelouch assured him softly. "My feelings are not an issue. I can divorce my heritage from this situation."

_"That's pretty cold,"_ Naoto commented, sounding vaguely unsure, but he let it drop. _"Draft up a search plan. I'll attach my seal to it when you've finished. Requisition whatever resources you need."_

Lelouch nodded, listening attentively. "I'll have it drafted by the afternoon. How are things on your end?"

_ "Things are… complicated. I hate situations like these_," Naoto admitted. _"Too much double talk and reading between the lines. I'll take an honest battlefield every time."_

"You think there's a danger there? Is the Federation going to attack?" Lelouch pressed worriedly, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck raise at the very thought of a war between two of the world's superpowers.

_ "There's definitely something going on here. Emperor above, this had to happen while I'm gone,"_ Naoto muttered frustratedly. In the background, Lelouch distinctly heard someone calling out for Naoto._ "Make sure Kallen doesn't do anything reckless, especially during the prisoner transfer."_

"Right," Lelouch muttered, having barely remembered that was coming up this week. "There's a chance this might be connected to some kind of attempt to free Clovis, using this attack on the factory as a way to divide up our resources and attention."

_"That would make sense if Jinchuu was working with the BLF,"_ Naoto noted, even as what Lelouch suspected was the banging of a fist against wood became audible over the phone. _"If their alliance is moving along this much, things will get ugly._ _Look, the morning keynotes are about to start, and Sancia's about to break down the door to drag me there. Keep an eye on things for me there, and I'll be back ASAP."_

Lelouch nodded diligently, shutting the phone after he heard the distinct click of Naoto hanging up on the other end.

"Well that sounded dire," C.C. said dryly, standing against the doorway.

"You know eavesdropping is a terrible habit," Lelouch retorted, rolling his eyes as he pocketed the phone. "But yes, things are getting… darker. Between the Federation and Jinchuu it feels like the world is tilting on its axis, and the center won't hold."

"Well, cheer up. Jeremiah made waffles," C.C. responded tartly, sounding decidedly unamused. "Best eat quick or we'll be late for school."

Lelouch nodded absently as C.C. shut the door. "She has no taste for Yates I guess," he muttered, leaning back into his chair, gazing up at the ceiling with a distant expression.

Things were going to get really ugly soon. War on a global scale, and Brittania would be caught in the center of the storm.

Lelouch sighed.

Waffles did sound good right about now.

00000

"Aren't you going to be late for school?" Gino questioned tiredly, peering up from his slouched, splayed out position on the couch. He and the rest of his team were arrayed out in one of the warehouse's converted offices, each of them looking dead on their feet.

Shirley said nothing, peering out from the high windows of the office, looking down at the huddled masses of the former Dudley prisoners with a hardened expression. She watched as her fellow BLF members provided the gaunt, haunted men and women with blankets and hot drinks, and instead of being moved with warm emotions by the sight, she felt only a white hot determination searing through her veins.

"I wish I had been there," Shirley murmured quietly. "I wish I had been there to kill the bastards that are responsible for this."

"Things were… weird," Rivalz commented, not even bothering to open his eyes as he laid flat out on the couch across from Gino. "Most of the guards weren't even there, and the few that were there were not fighting back. And Jinchuu never told us what happened inside the factory."

"What? That sounds a bit… weird," Shirley commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Man, you should have seen him, Shirley," Gino murmured in wonderment, all but ignoring her words. "Working with him… damn, I haven't felt like that since the first time I held a gun. I got shivers all the way down my spine when he spoke after we took out the factory."

"I'm glad to hear your experience working with Jinchuu strengthened your resolve," Cornelia said suddenly, stepping into the room, flanked by Guilford and Darlton. "Your actions last night were a great blow for our cause. Some old comrades of ours were imprisoned there."

Smiling ever so slightly, Cornelia held out a hand, which Gino nearly stumbled over himself to shake as he got up off the couch. "T-thank you, ma'am," Gino said quickly, blinking rapidly to try and shake off his exhaustion.

"You look tired, Weinberg. We'll save the debriefing for tomorrow," Cornelia continued, after he released her hand. Glancing towards Shirley, she said questioningly, "Fenette? I thought you were at school."

"I'd rather be here, helping with the prisoners, Commander," Shirley said politely, bowing her head. "Besides, Operation Tower is nearing and I'd rather spend some more time with the Amalthea if nothing else. I want to be ready to face Kouzuki."

"Kouzuki is a pilot with a greater degree of battle experience than you," Darlton spoke up, fixing her with a reproving look. "She underestimated you when you first fought, but when she sees you in the _Amalthea_… she'll be taking you seriously. We need you to engage and distract her and the other guards, not necessarily defeat her."

Shirley had the grace to blush. "Er, yes, of course. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself," she apologized, bowing her head.

"Well, we can't fault Fenette for ambition," Cornelia said warmly, inclining her head towards the younger girl. "The time will come when you can fight head to head with the Empire's finest. For now, however, we have the larger picture to consider. But I do agree that more time training may be good for you- the Block B warehouse is cleared for your usage today. Because of our recent shipment we also have the supplies for live fire exercises if you so wish."

"That would be great ma'am," Shirley said, smiling.

00000

"So, Kallen's in crisis mode running the government and Shirley's out sick again… hmm, it feels like it has been a very long time since it was like this, hmm?" C.C. murmured softly, peering at him with an unreadable expression. The two of them were sitting at their respective desks in the classroom during a short study period, Lelouch looking down at his lap watching the news on his cellphone, having been covertly using that feature on his phone to keep abreast of all incoming information.

Lelouch pursed his lips, contemplating C.C.'s words carefully. "Yes, it has, hasn't it?" he flicked a glance at her and smirked. "What, are you feeling lonely since I took on these new responsibilities?"

C.C. gave him a flat stare in response.

His smirk widened, and he opened his mouth to talk-

When a sharp, fierce stinging pain ran up his leg, as though someone had just kicked him forcefully in the shin… someone with a size six shoe, specifically.

Lelouch glared. C.C. smiled, and everything was once more as it was. Neither of them spoke for a while, until finally Lelouch recalled something that had been troubling him earlier.

"Hey, C.C…" as she met his questioning gaze, he continued, "When I was using my power, I tried to push my mind against Jinchuu's, but he was able to repel me. Not only that, but some of the terrorists were highly resistant to me as well."

C.C.'s face remained impassive, as though carved of cold marble. It was the face she wore for him whenever he breached the subject of Geass in general.

"Is it possible Jinchuu is… like you? Immune to Geass, maybe even immortal? And those others, I'm trying to understand just what they were capable of from the AARs Naoto lent me," Lelouch pressed curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"He's not a Code Bearer," C.C. asserted firmly, her tone so sharp that Lelouch was actually taken aback for a moment. "I would know."

"I still don't really understand the mechanics of being a Code Bearer," Lelouch said slowly, studying C.C.'s face for any hint of emotion. "You can affect minds like me, but it's not specialized in one kind of way…"

"Don't ask me about the Code," C.C. said flatly. "You know better than that."

It was an old argument, born sine the day Lelouch had realized that C.C. hadn't aged a day since they first met.

"You let me have a Geass," Lelouch reminded her, suddenly irritated at her evasiveness. "After years of denying me that request, you gave it to me when I finally told you I didn't want that power."

"Because I believed you understood the dangers to it then," C.C. hissed, genuine anger in her voice. "Believe me, the Code is not your concern, Lelouch. Keep playing the savior and fight your war. Leave matters like this well alone."

Lelouch drew back, looking as though she'd physically struck him with the vehemence of her words. In seven years he had never once prodded her to the point where she displayed anything more than a modicum of irritation towards him, let alone an actual display of fury.

Another person would have backed off. But Lelouch sensed that maybe, just maybe, he could finally pry something out of C.C., with her emotions so open.

"You made the contract with me. You've kept me in the dark for years about what you really are, why you've looked after me, and I have given you my trust," Lelouch responded tartly, keeping his voice low. "Don't I deserve something?"

C.C. pursed her lips and said nothing for a long while, but Lelouch held her gaze firmly, refusing to look away. He needed information, and damn everything else.

"The truth is that I don't know why your powers didn't work. There's no set pattern to the power save that it affects the mind only," C.C. answered simply, her eyes hard as stone, "And the mysteries that surround the Code are more dangerous than you can possibly imagine. Right now you're at the fringes of a world that has been in the shadows before the rise of any empire. There are people who would kill just to make sure it never came to light."

There was a quality to C.C.'s voice that was at utter odds with her youthful features, and Lelouch was suddenly reminded that, despite how long he had been with this woman, she was not the seventeen year old she had pretended to be from the moment they met, but an ageless creature that was nearly alien to him in some ways.

He wasn't afraid of her- he never could be, really. This was the woman who had all but raised him.

But at that moment he realized he might not really understand her at all.

Before Lelouch could say anything in return, the bell had rung signaling the end of the break period, and C.C.'s face had returned to its usual impassive expression.

00000

Beneath C.C.'s passive, practically carved of marble stone expression, however, there was what amounted to a storm brewing.

_My, my, my, what has gotten into you?_ A soft laugh echoed within the confines of her skull, accompanied by a flash of purple eyes.

"Nothing," she refuted, her voice so quiet she was practically just mouthing the words.

C.C. had long ago learned how to speak so softly that no one outside of those dwelling in her own mind could hear. She of course did not need to actually physically speak the words, but it helped her, in a way, to be able to. And besides, she had long passed the point of actually caring how others viewed her.

_You got upset! I haven't seen you upset in… ever! It's amazing! Like a double rainbow or something! _The voice that was not her own was practically giddy in its delighted amusement. _You want to defend him so badly, don't you?_

"You sound stronger," C.C. commented lightly, ignoring her words. "Your voice is getting louder. I can actually hear your voice this time instead of merely sensing thoughts."

_My strength is returning_, came the agreement. _There's a storm brewing in the World of C, and I've been able to gather my power through it._

"A storm?" C.C. raised an eyebrow. "How large?"

_Far bigger than the one seven years ago,_ the voice replied cheerily. _You haven't returned to this place in so long, you know. I think you may have forgotten the experience._

"I've been busy," C.C. responded, almost tartly. She refused to consider how dangerous a storm like that sounded- it wasn't an actual storm, of course, more a conflagration of emotions that made up the World of C. The bigger the event the more emotions would get riled up leading up to it.

_Busy protecting the boy, beyond even the mandate I set for you all those years ago,_ the voice noted. _Has he changed you, C.C.? Shattered the stone heart that was so famous? Have you forgotten our purpose? Why you started looking after the boy in the first place? Or even your own dearest desire?_

"I have not forgotten," C.C. said coldly, and her eyes had become hard as diamonds, her muscles tensed as though ready to strike. "Seven years does not change someone like me easily. My wish remains the same."

_Good. I love the boy, I really do. But we have invested our final hopes in him, and without him we cannot achieve our dream. He is not some weak child- he has the soul of a tiger, and he alone can accomplish what we failed to do,_ the voice said dismissively, somehow finding a way to be callous and prideful of Lelouch's potential at the same time. _Honestly you should have given him the Geass years ago to start preparing him for what is to come._

"How quickly you adjusted your plans when you realized the extent of the betrayal," C.C. murmured distantly, tapping her fingers against the varnished wood of her desk absently. She ignored the statement about giving Lelouch a Geass as a mere boy- she had seen the effects that could have on a grown man's psyche, let alone a mere child's."Did it really have to be him?"

_ There was no one else capable. You're the Code Bearer, you can feel his potential better than anyone, can't you? _The voice retorted, audibly smirking, before a sudden yawn filled her mind, loud and unabashed. _Oh dear. I suppose my strength really hasn't returned yet. My eternal rest awaits me again._

"Not so eternal for you," C.C. muttered sardonically, rolling her eyes.

_Remember what I said, C.C.,_ it warned, even as the voice grew softer, the presence withdrawing from her consciousness. _Lelouch is our weapon and heir to the legacy his father could not achieve. Do not let your feelings compromise our goals. Not now. _

The presence faded from her mind, though the words seemed to echo on.

00000

"I was only twenty minutes late," Naoto muttered defensively, straightening his tie unconsciously as he glared at his lieutenant. "And I told you that the call was important."

Sancia ignored his gaze, sipping daintily at her wine. Both were dressed in the dark black, gold, and green military dress uniforms of the Imperial Army, though Naoto's traditional officer sword had to be left behind.

"I didn't say anything," she said simply. "And that was several hours ago, so I have no idea why you would be bringing it up now. Despite the fact that you were called to speak during the keynotes and Kirihara-sama had to cover for you. And when you showed up your tie was practically askew, and your breath still smelled of stale coffee."

"Maybe it's the 'my commander is an embarrassing, irresponsible man' vibe that's making me uncomfortable," Naoto muttered under his breath, shaking his head, before returning his gaze to their surroundings.

The two of them were standing at the veritable outskirts of an elaborate state dinner, sequestered far to the back and away from anyone of real importance.

Senator Dantes had spared no expense for this dinner, which was in fact only the first of many. The display of wealth was blatantly obvious- everywhere new, one-of-a-kind porcelain was set out, and plates were heaped high with both Japanese delicacies (well, for people in the Federation, anyway) and European dishes. The scent of duck foie gras mixed with the familiar aroma of miso soup. A string quartet was playing some European classic in the background while politicians sipped from crystal flutes.

It was the kind of thing Naoto had grown up with, and quite frankly grown used to enough that it honestly did little more than annoy him. It used to make him uncomfortable, wearing uncomfortable clothing and being forced to stay still and quiet for hours on end, but nowadays it was little more than another day at the office.

"It's quite a party, is it not?" came a soft tenor, and Naoto turned to see Kirihara Kaname striding over to them with a wide smile, two glasses of wine in his hands, offering one to Naoto, who took it politely.

"They are sparing no expense," Naoto said neutrally, his mouth set in a thin line as he sipped at his wine.

"Successful negotiations are always something to celebrate," Kaname responded immediately, drinking deep from his own glass. "It of course will take far longer than one day to resolve these issues, but progress is progress. Senator Dantes is a friend of Grandfather, and he has been very reasonable in these talks."

Naoto kept his features schooled neutrally, though he was not truly surprised that Kirihara Taizou even owned people in the Federation. The reach of the Kirihara name was vast.

"Was there something in particular you wanted to speak to me about?" Naoto questioned guardedly, gazing at the other man over the rim of the wineglass thoughtfully.

"I wanted to see what you thought of today's events… and to ask your lovely lieutenant for a dance, of course," Kaname replied easily, raising an eyebrow rakishly. Sancia, of all things, blushed.

Before Naoto could say anything to that particular statement, another voice called out.

"Ah, Kirihara-san. There you are. We haven't had a chance to formally talk yet," said Arthur Camlann, his smile not quite reaching his amethyst eyes, and once more, Naoto was struck by the similarities to Lelouch, in more ways than one.

Just like Lelouch, this Arthur Camlann had a presence about him, for lack of a better word. Lelouch had unconsciously, whether he believed himself capable of it or not, taken control of Naoto's own bridge without anyone realizing it, with the air of a natural commander, one whom men would follow blindly and without thinking. Arthur's stance and posture seemed to give off the exact same presence, perhaps even more so, as it seemed this man had far more self-confidence in his abilities than Lelouch did.

It wasn't like Kaname's charisma and charm, which captured those around him with beauty and flowery airs until Kaname was ready to devour them whole. It was more… solid. Real.

"Secretary Camlann. A pleasure," Kaname said genially, inclining his head with a short half-bow. "You wished to speak with me on a matter?"

"Ah, well, just like you wanted to question the Commander here, I wanted to ask you about today's events, and your goals for these negotiations, in person," Arthur said calmly, meeting Kaname's gaze steadily, and Naoto felt like he was watching two predators circling each other warily, feeling each other out for any weaknesses.

"I want the best result for my country, of course, and I would hope that these negotiations would lead to that," Kaname murmured silkily, "I'm sure no one wants things to dissolve into bloodshed."

"Of course not," Arthur agreed amiably. "Well, I heard you asking this lovely lady to dance, so I shall not keep you longer. Besides, I would love another chance to speak with the Commander here."

"Well then. A good evening to you both. Lieutenant, if you would do me the honor?" Kaname said generously, offering out his hand with a hooded look.

Sancia glanced back at Naoto just once with an unreadable look, and then took his hand with a polite smile. "The honor is mine, Kirihara-sama," she said softly, as he led her off.

Naoto watched them go with his jaw set tight, a frown marring his face, and it wasn't until he spoke that Naoto remembered Arthur's presence.

"What do _you_ think the 'best result' for your country would be, Commander?" Arthur asked lightly, chuckling as he turned and stood with Naoto.

"Peace and prosperity," Naoto answered neutrally, refusing to give in to whatever game the European was playing as he took another glass of sparkling white wine from one of the neatly dressed caterers.

"Ah, but what sort of prosperity?" Arthur pressed, leaning in towards Naoto with a faint smile. "Before the Brittanian invasion you could say the Empire was at peace as the world's largest economic power. After, it gained new prosperity, building upon the powerful factories and technology acquired from the conquest and a measure of peace even after the war."

"Are you asking me if I want peace for my country at the expense of yours?" Naoto asked sharply, raising an eyebrow as he kept his face expressionless.

"That is the nature of the world. The strong need to keep their strength. The weak desire to take it away and make it their own," Arthur responded vaguely, smirking as he absently popped an appetizer from a nearby silver plate into his mouth.

"It's the duty of the strong to defend the weak," Naoto replied tersely, a faint frown on his face. "That's what I was taught."

"Defend? No, Commander," Arthur corrected, and his face flickered and hardened for a single moment, losing its jovial façade. "The strong have a duty to win. The weak are destined only to follow the will of the strong."

"So you think power is the absolute definition of who has what right," Naoto observed, unable to mask the slight tone of distaste in his voice.

"Do you know what power really is, Commander?" Arthur questioned, smiling faintly from behind the dark red wine in his hand. "It's a choice. It's the freedom to do one thing or the other... and the capacity to take that away from someone else."

Naoto said nothing, staring back unflinchingly as he waited for the other man to finish.

"Let's take a gun," Arthur murmured, and made his free hand into a gun-shape, pointing it with a smile at Naoto. "There you have two distinct choices- pull the trigger, or don't. If you pull the trigger, you kill the man, and end his life forever. If you don't, you spare him, and he is free to do whatever he wishes, and is given life by you."

"It's my experience that guns don't give life, only take it away," Naoto responded tartly, taking a slow drink of his wine.

"But if you spare him, don't you give him life?" the other man questioned.

"You didn't give him anything- you let him keep something that is his," Naoto corrected darkly, his brow creasing.

"Ah, but that's exactly my point. You had the choice, not him. You could take what is his, or not. But you had the choice, in the end, not him. All he could to do was die. The strong decide the world. Nothing changes that- people are not equal. The man with the gun is always going to be more powerful than the one without," Arthur continued, as if Naoto had never spoken. "So how do the weak fight the strong?"

"Take away the gun," Naoto guessed, narrowing his eyes as he attempted to piece together exactly what Arthur was talking about. But what was the gun in question? Knightmare Frames? Soldiers?

"Precisely," Arthur agreed, sounding delighted that Naoto had so accurately understood his intention as he lowered the mock gun he made with his fingers. "And so the roles will reverse. The weak become strong and the strong become weak, ensuring that only the most dangerous and ruthless thrive in natural selection. Perpetual inequality, nature in its most balanced state."

"But that just creates the same scenario over again," Naoto pointed out, frowning.

"Absolutely correct," Arthur continued, smiling widely as he set down his now empty wine glass. "If you'll indulge me, let us take a brief look into history."

He fixed Naoto with a bemused expression, looking for all the world like a teacher talking with his favored pupil.

"After the death of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Empire and the ten year old Napoleon Bonaparte II found themselves somewhat lacking in the ability to hold control over the territories that Napoleon the Elder had conquered, at least not without giving them a say in the government. But the conquered territories did rather enjoy the Napoleonic law and prosperity they had gained under French rule, and the rule of Napoleon had lasted long enough for the people to grow comfortable, but not long enough that they would so easily submit to the French."

Naoto listened along half-heartedly, sipping his drink as he followed along. He was vaguely familiar with the history of the Eurasian Federation- the primary education of the Japanese only briefly touched on the topic, viewing the history of 'lesser' people as a largely unimportant part of their education.

"Thus, a concession- the French Empire chose not to descend into bloody civil war in the style of the generals of Alexander the Great after the death of their master, but instead to reform their government into a Union of composite states known as the European Union, creating the world's first super-state of sorts," Arthur murmured, his eyes clearly lost in thought. "Of course the French retained control over most of the governments… for a time, anyway. The disbanding of national militaries came soon after, as a way to unify all people in the European Union, and instead formed a contract with several mercenary groups."

Naoto narrowed his eyes. He knew where this was going.

"With this concession, the German mercenary group Einherjar came to prominence as the preeminent military group of choice, having folded in much of Napoleon the Elder's finest soldiers into their ranks through exceptionally high wages and a willingness to take any and all nationalities into their ranks," Arthur explained, his hands energetically moving to emphasize his point like a professor lost in his favorite subject. "They start out small because of their elite nature, but they buy up the best arms and they make a name for themselves in the Crimean War. The Danube campaign alone shows them beating the holy hell out of the Chinese-Russian forces. People notice and flock to their banners. Company coffers swell, but they keep their elite nature, never tainting themselves with the impurity of the weak."

"Thus is born the military-industrial complex of the European Union, and at its forefront, the German Einherjar, which soon replaced Napoleon's old Grand Army as the symbol of strength in the Union," Naoto finished for the other man, nodding. He did not know the specifics of that era, but everyone knew that it was German power that was at the forefront of the European Union, and even the current Eurasian Federation still had strong leanings with German policies. "So what you're trying to prove to me is that when the strong concede some power to the weak, the weak inevitably reverse the situation and become the strong."

"Exactly," Arthur said cheerily, sounding unusually pleased at how quickly Naoto had grasped the meaning of his words, clapping his hands in delight. "The strong should never share power, but instead use it to dominate the weak and ensure the continuation of their supremacy. If the French had kept the faith in their strength as they should have, this would be a French Empire instead of a Eurasian Federation."

"That's a bit selfish," Naoto said dully. "And how many lives would have been lost to bloodshed if the French had acted as you said?"

Arthur's smiled only widened at his sarcastic tone. "Not everyone can be happy, Commander. So those with power should ensure their own happiness, rather than risk losing it at the hands of those without."

There was an intangible quality in his voice that suddenly made Arthur seem far older than he was, and Naoto found himself noticing features that were eerily reminiscent of Lelouch's.

"What exactly is the point of this little lecture," Naoto asked, his tone taking an edge. The whole conversation was setting his teeth on edge, like waiting at the edge of a battle.

"Ah, well, that would be spoiling the game. Let's just say I wanted to give you a lesson for the future," Arthur said cheerily, as his phone began to ring. "If you'll excuse me then…"

And without waiting for a reply, he wandered off, leaving Naoto to his thoughts.

00000

Arthur Camlann hummed thoughtfully as he ducked into a private office, seemingly unconcerned about being overheard as he tilted his head to one side and waited for the person on the other end to speak.

_"So how's the party?" _

"Interesting enough, I suppose. Kirihara's a little too smarmy to be believable, really, but Kouzuki is the one I really have my eye on right now," Arthur responded dully, rolling his shoulders as he settled against the desk, facing the slightly ajar door. "He's just as the file read. Even better, really. He's got morals."

_"You think he'll suit our purposes?" _

"Yes sir." Arthur paused and flicked a glance at the door. "You should see this farce. Kirihara Industries practically owns Dantes through his shipping company, and everyone here damn well knows it. Why Einherjar hasn't just shot the man is a mystery to me."

_"They're playing it close to the vest. They own this country anyway, so even something like this won't slow down their agenda,"_ came the reply, tittering in amusement. _"So our sources at Rosenbaum checked out?"_

"This is all part of the plan," Arthur confirmed. He eyed the door again and frowned, sighing inwardly as he stood up and moved closer to the door. "Rosenbaum's board execs want working proof, and Bismarck is more than willing to be the guinea pig if it means getting his misguided revenge."

_"That man is a fool. What my brother saw in him I will never understand,"_ V.V. muttered, and Arthur could practically see the Code Bearer's otherworldly eyes rolling in disdain. _"Well, do what you can from your end. If you think Kouzuki can stymie Bismarck, then you have my permission to aid him."_

"Thank you, father," Arthur said quietly, and the line went dead as he swung the door open wide to reveal a young man in a dark suit and tie ensemble, who stumbled back, obviously caught off guard, having expected Arthur to have been paying attention to the conversation.

"Private Caesar Lucero, am I right?" Arthur questioned, raising an eyebrow. The young man's dark brown eyes widened, and he added, "I memorized the names and faces of all of Einherjar's people on site."

Arthur studied him for a moment, like a deranged scientist inspecting his latest subject for dissection. Lucero had classically Spanish features, dark hair, olive skin, strong jaw. His eyes were bright and clear and intelligent. He had promise.

"Bad luck they had you tailing me, Private," Arthur murmured softly, inclining his head in apology as he shut his eyes for a moment, gathering up his will.

When they opened again, his amethyst eyes glowed a bright, hellish red, in the shape of a bird in flight.

The light of a Geass.

Lucero never even had time to scream.

Author's Notes

Okay, shorter than usual, but I think this'll have to be my new policy. This chapter is basically half of the original Chapter 14, with the other half now being Chapter 15. The chapter lengths were just getting too long on me and taking too much time to write. So now, I think 10,000 words max is a good estimate, and anything more than that I cut in half.

With this policy I will hopefully not take forever and a day to come out with the next chapter.


	16. Chapter 15: The Descent of the Valkyries

_Hell or Glory  
I don't want anything in between  
Then came a baby boy with long eyelashes  
And Daddy said you gotta show the world the thunder_

-"She's My Winona", Fall Out Boy

Chapter 15

The Descent of the Valkyries

There was tension in the household, and Jeremiah wasn't sure how to deal with it. For one thing, he had never exactly been a family man- his father was a military man to the core who had only ever treated his son as a new recruit rather than a boy, his mother having passed from the world long before he ever really knew her.

For another thing, the two in question were not exactly normal- Lelouch was his prince and his liege lord, and C.C. … well, she was C.C., the woman he had somehow maintained a strange but strictly platonic relationship with for the past seven years in a joint guardianship of his prince.

He sighed, turning away from the kitchen for a moment to hang up his apron. C.C. was lounging out by the couch, steadfastly ignoring everyone except the T.V. Lelouch was upstairs, sequestered in his room like always.

Neither of them had exactly come out and said there was an issue between the two of them, but you didn't live with the same two people for seven years without learning to read between the lines. And for more than a day Lelouch and C.C. had been all but screaming that they were avoiding speaking with one another.

Jeremiah briefly considered trying to pry the answer out of C.C., but quickly discarded it- their relationship was built entirely around Lelouch, and Jeremiah had no idea how to even start a heart-to-heart kind of conversation with most women, let alone her.

So he had talk with his prince, instead. With an inward sigh he put the tray he had been preparing in his hands and walked up the stairs, briefly stopping at the foot to look back and say, "C.C.-san, yours are on the counter."

Even if she didn't say anything, he figured she had been eyeing the snacks he made.

Without waiting for a reply, Jeremiah headed up the stairs to Lelouch's room, knocking gently with his elbow to announce his presence.

"Come in, Jeremiah," Lelouch said distractedly.

Jeremiah pushed his shoulder lightly against the already partially open door and went inside the room, taking it all in with a glance. It was messier than usual, which was a surprise given his prince's zealous need for organization.

"I'll clean it tomorrow," Lelouch said suddenly, his back to Jeremiah as he continued typing at a relentless pace on his laptop, eyes glued to the screen.

Jeremiah sighed and set the tray down on the desk table, pushing aside several printed out articles and textbooks which were scattered atop of it. "If I may be so bold, my lord, you're pushing yourself too hard."

"The country's nearly in a state of war, Jeremiah. If anything, I am not working hard enough," Lelouch responded tartly, ignoring everything but the screen in front of him. "Naoto-san needs to approve my plan for Clovis's transfer by tonight. The operation is in two days."

Jeremiah struggled with the urge to continue with his protest, but in the end he knew he had to stay silent when it came to matters such as these. That was the duty of a knight to his lord- unquestioning obedience and utter faithfulness to the oaths sworn by the knight on his master's honor. Lelouch was determined to see this through, and it was his chivalrous duty to only serve his master's goals.

Instead, he supposed he would put forth the other matter he had come up here to discuss.

"Lelouch-sama… is there an issue between yourself and C.C.-san?"

Lelouch stiffened, and his brow furrowed in annoyance. "There's nothing the matter, Jeremiah. We had an argument. I offended her in one of those myriad ways she takes offense to. You know how she is. She'll come around eventually and apologize."

Jeremiah coughed, eyeing his very young prince thoughtfully. Intelligent and gifted as he was, Jeremiah couldn't help but acknowledge that he was still a teenage boy.

"I know C.C.-san can be difficult, but she is still a girl. And girls… well, they're not the ones to apologize after an argument, Lelouch-sama," Jeremiah said delicately.

Lelouch eyed Jeremiah for the first time since he walked into the room, frowning.

"I didn't say anything truly wrong," he refuted stubbornly. "I merely pressed her for information. I am not a child and I do not need to be coddled, especially by that witch."

Ah. Now Jeremiah was starting to see the full picture. This was one place that Jeremiah really did understand C.C.- the desire to protect Lelouch, even from himself. As a knight Jeremiah knew there would be days when his two objectives of obeying his lord and defending his lord might come into conflict.

Jeremiah briefly felt the urge to set his hand down on Lelouch's shoulder, but squashed it. Even seven years of service would not rid him of the rigid codes of honor ingrained in his soul.

Instead, he merely spoke quietly, "We are both here for you, my lord. What we do, we do to serve and protect you. I know that much is true for myself and C.C.-san."

Lelouch said nothing for a long while, and Jeremiah turned to leave with a silent bow.

"Thank you," Lelouch said suddenly, and gave Jeremiah pause.

He smiled, though he did not let it show.

"No thanks are necessary, my lord."

00000

Suzaku had been to Birmingham once, before the war. As the second largest city in Brittania, it was a sprawling metropolis of the Brittanian Empire, a microcosm of the various cultures and peoples of the Empire. Lelouch, Nunnally, and Euphemia had taken him around the city, insisting he see the sights. Over a million people lived here at one point. He remembered smiling faces and buildings that even impressed someone like him, who dwelled exclusively in the Imperial Palace (not that he admitted it).

Suzaku looked outside the window of the plane and saw only the skeletal remains of that once great city.

The siege at Birmingham had lasted only three months, but the Japanese campaign had been one of overwhelming force over strategic advance, and as such tremendous amounts of damage had been done to the city in those scant weeks. Even seven years later, most of the outskirts were still in ruins, and entire neighborhoods were now clusters of rubble where the destitute and diseased of society were forced to congregate into ghettoes.

The center of the city, specifically the Japanese district, was of course clean and well maintained, but only there. The stark contrast of the clean and sharp Imperial designs and the ruined remains of the Brittanian buildings in the evening light was a painful sight for Suzaku.

It pained him to realize that his influence had really only spread around London- everywhere else in Brittania, his reforms were moving slowly.

"We're about to land, Suzaku-sama," Milly announced, stepping over to his seat with a pinched look. "You should buckle your seat belt."

Suzaku said nothing, still staring outside pensively.

Milly stepped close and peered out the window next to him, her face inches from his own.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she offered, though they both knew it was a lie.

Suzaku sighed, glancing away from the window. "Bring me the file on the leadership in Birmingham, would you?"

Milly rolled her eyes, reaching over to buckle his seatbelt as she nodded absently. "Yes, yes, master," she murmured as she passed over a manila folder.

Suzaku opened the file and glance over it. He had already read it over the night before, but lately his memory had been a bit spotty, likely from stress, and he tended to need to look things over multiple times before they stuck.

"District Chief Yamamoto Shuusuke is meeting us at the airport, along with the Mayor of Birmingham Asahi Masatama," Milly explained as he continued studying the file. "There are a few minor officials attending as well."

One name, however, gave him pause, and his brow furrowed.

"Milly, down at the bottom… What position is 'Under-Secretary to the People's Representative?"

In Suzaku's experience, generally the longer and more complicated the title, the less power they would have. And the name was most certainly not a Japanese name.

"You really should try to pay more attention to global politics as a prince, you know," Milly chided, rolling her eyes as she read off the name. "Kanon Maldni, Under-Secretary to the People's Representative in the Imperial Diet, Schneizel El Brittania. His personal assistant."

Suzaku's eyebrows shot nearly off his face at that. He may not have realized it at first, but hearing Schneizel's name put things together quite nicely in his mind. Where the rest of the Brittanian Imperial family had gone into obscurity, either living in exile or hiding for the most part, Schneizel, who had brokered the Windsor Treaty, had risen higher.

The position of People's Representative was supposed to be merely honorary, a way to appease the masses by supposedly letting them have a single vote in the Diet. Supposed to be, anyway, but Schneizel had been building a steady power base in the Diet- nothing threatening enough to even warrant attention from the Imperial Council or the Emperor, but enough that it was noticeable even to Suzaku, who had not returned to the homeland in years.

Suzaku himself hadn't dealt much with that faction- the Imperial Diet was largely uninvolved in provincial matters, and thus he hadn't needed to deal with them.

"Hmm, he's included in the list?" Suzaku murmured, wondering at that. "Maybe there's hope for progress after all."

Milly only frowned, however, and he glanced over at her with a pinched look. "What?"

"Master, nothing is ever that simple for you," Milly said simply, shaking her head.

00000

Kanon Maldni was a profoundly patient man. Politics were, in his mind, all about patience, planning, and placement. The three Ps form a perfect P, as Schneizel used to say jokingly. But to craft the perfect plan and achieve the correct placement, one required patience above all else.

Which was why he was more than capable of enduring the annoyed looks and resentment practically seething off of the Japanese officials who utterly loathed the idea of a foreign dog being included in the welcoming delegation for the Crown Prince.

Kanon smiled passively as the others shuffled in front of him, brushing him aside with rough shoulder bumps that couldn't be anything but intentional.

His phone began to ring, and he absently opened it and said, "No, he hasn't landed yet."

Schneizel's familiar laugh, light and with a soft tenor, came out from the other end of the cellphone. For whatever reason, impudence from Kanon amused Schneizel more than anything else.

_ "I do wish I could be there in person,"_ Schneizel said amusedly. "_I've been desiring a meeting with the Prince in person."_

"His file is fairly interesting," Kanon agreed, keeping his voice low. "I find this bit about his maid especially intriguing- he allows her basically unlimited control over his personal and public affairs. Just about all of his interactions are mediated through her. She wields an enormous amount of power- I would go so far as to say she has more potential influence than you, Schneizel."

_ "Milly Ashford, correct?"_ Schneizel murmured. _"Well it means he's most certainly sympathetic to our cause, not that I had any doubts otherwise."_

"Do you still think he knows where your brother Lelouch is?" Kanon questioned.

_ "Their friendship is too strong for the two of them not to keep track of one another," _Schneizel answered calmly. _"Just knowing Lelouch is alive is enough for now. I still have that particular Sword of Damocles over him in any case." _

Privately, Kanon admired that part of Schneizel which allowed him to use that incident as not only a means to control a member of his family. Others might have seen it as monstrous to use the tragic mistake of a child against them and force them into compliance if necessary, but Schneizel had always claimed that Lelouch was the brother most like him, and thus the most dangerous to him. And any dangers were to be suppressed and dealt with immediately.

There was a commotion at the front of the delegation, and Kanon smiled. "It seems that the prince has arrived."

_"Watch, observe, but let's not make contact quite yet,"_ Schneizel murmured._ "Let's see how this all plays out."_

As Kanon watched the Prince step off the plane, he smiled quietly and nodded.

"Yes, your highness."

00000

"HI-YAH!" Kallen cried out, coming down with a powerful slash of her wooden sword, feeling beads of sweat fly from her face. She had foregone the kendo helmet in favor of a simple training gi and hakama pants, and was using a bokken instead of a shinai today. Her eyes were narrowed, and she pretended as though a certain green eyed prince was the target in front of her instead of empty air.

_Stupid, arrogant, selfish… doesn't he care that he's putting his life in danger? He's a prince, the Emperor's own blood,_ Kallen thought irritably._ He needs to have more thoughts about protecting himself before protecting anyone else._

It wasn't as though Kallen didn't understand Suzaku's feelings- she did. She was half-Brittanian, for the Emperor's sake. She understood wanting to keep this country stable and safe just as much as he did.

But the idea of losing Suzaku was more painful than imagining the suffering of any number of faceless civilians. He was her oldest and dearest friend, and on top of that Kallen had sworn oaths to defend the Imperial line to her dying breath- with the Emperor a world away Kallen's top priority was keeping his son safe.

So why couldn't he understand that?

With another wordless cry of frustration and anger, Kallen went through a quick kata, the practiced series of movements learned at the Kururugi Dojo helping focus her mind.

"You know I never get tired of seeing you do that," came a cheerful voice.

Kallen blinked and turned around to see Kaguya's smiling face as she stood at the edges of the dojo's door.

"Kaguya-san," Kallen said respectfully, bowing her head instinctively. "I didn't know you were coming."

Kaguya smiled at that. "Well, I wanted to deliver your costume to you in person and surprise you."

Kallen's eyes were drawn to the large brown cardboard package sitting right behind Kaguya's slight form, and she suddenly remembered that the Halloween party was coming up in about a week.

"Oh, that…" Kallen said slowly, backing away hesitantly, like someone who just noticed a tiger in the room. "I thought people would be picking their costumes individually."

"Oh come on now, we can't have the Prince and his bride to be dressed in non-matching outfits," Kaguya replied as if it were completely obvious. "I was going to go with some kind of classic anime couple but I realized that this is the first time you two will be at any kind of event together, and so we needed to make a good impression."

Kallen blinked. That was almost… responsible.

"So, here we go," Kaguya said cheerfully, pushing the package towards her with a smile. "I ordered it special from the homeland. Yours is on top."

Kallen set down her bokken and stepped behind Kaguya. After a minute or so of struggling with the overly wrapped and taped package and wishing she had brought along one of the combat knives Naoto had given her for her last birthday, she opened the package, and, despite her misgivings, was actually taken aback.

"This is… really pretty," Kallen managed, and meant it. The fabric was obviously silk, and obviously extremely high quality- even though Kallen was a noble, she had never owned an outfit this nice in her life. And Kaguya had practically bought it for her on a whim.

"I'm so glad you like it!" Kaguya said happily, clapping her hands in delight. "I'll instruct the maids on how to dress you in it properly."

Kallen smiled back. "Thank you, Kaguya-san. Really."

Kaguya shook her head dismissively. "No problem at all. Have you heard from my dear cousin?"

At that, Kallen's smile faded, and her momentarily forgotten ire returned with simmering force.

"No," she said tersely.

Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "Well, you two have certainly worsened your terms, hmm?"

"You could say that," Kallen said bitingly, before she bowed her head in apology. "Sorry, I shouldn't be so rude. It's not your fault Suzaku is a…"

She trailed off before she could finish her sentence, simply scowling instead.

Kaguya smiled in understanding. "My cousin has been through a lot. He has lost sight of his importance as a prince and of the greater good the Empire needs," she conceded, sounding saddened, "But he's still got a good heart- the heart of a true ruler."

Kallen frowned, refusing to meet Kaguya's eyes in a slightly stubborn gesture of defiance at her words. She had to acknowledge them, however. Suzaku's concern for the people over his own well being was the mark of someone who could rule over the Empire with a sense of justice and compassion.

"I know, I know," she muttered, gritting her teeth, "But I just… I don't want him to get hurt. I swore an oath to shield the Emperor's line from harm. And more than that… he's my friend. Even without the oath I want him to stay safe."

"That's why you're going to be his wife," Kaguya said quietly, and Kallen's head jerked up.

Suddenly, things made a lot more sense as to why she, of all people, was chosen as the bride of the Crown Prince of the Empire.

"You were the one who suggested the match," Kallen realized, blinking in astonishment. "People said it was my grandfather who asked for the match, but someone must have helped things along. I'm a noble but I'm not of the Six Houses. There are far better matches for Suzaku than me."

"Politically maybe, but not personally," Kaguya disagreed, shaking her head. "Suzaku-kun needs someone to look after him. There is a saying, in the homeland. 'Every sword needs a sheath.' Something to keep it protected, even from itself. "

"You want me to protect him because he doesn't protect himself," Kallen understood, her expression pensive. "So even when he's risking his ass like this… you want me to support him, and shield him."

Kaguya smiled.

"I expect you to be Kallen-chan and him to be Suzaku-kun. No more, no less."

00000

"District Chief Yamamoto Shuusuke, right? It's nice to meet you," Suzaku said politely, bowing his head as the older man in front of him nearly bowled himself over with a bow.

"My prince," Yamamoto was a thin, almost boyishly framed man that was a head shorter than himself, making his deep bow all the more ridiculous looking. "Welcome. We are honored to receive the Emperor's blood here in our humble city."

Suzaku said nothing to that, preferring instead to greet the others as well rather than continue on with the mindless pleasantries. They all treated him the same way, bowing low and repeating the same words over and over to him ad nauseam. The assembled crowd was practically a mob of low-level officials and members of the press, each of them practically buzzing with the desire to speak with him even for only a moment.

He paused when he reached Kanon Maldni, but if the man was excited to see him he did not show it, merely keeping his eyes low to the ground and bowing even deeper than anyone else. "My prince. On behalf of all of the Brittanians in Birmingham, we welcome you."

Kanon then retreated back into the crowd, practically invisible. Suzaku moved to speak with him, when a loud shout rang out.

"Go home before you feel the justice of men!"

The crowd went deathly still, and Suzaku turned around to face the voices.

There, standing on the other side of the fence of the airstrip, was a small crowd, all of whom shared three qualities. One, they were Brittanians one and all. Two, they looked like dirty, disposed vagrants. And third and most telling of all, each and everyone one of them had branded themselves with two distinct kanji.

Human and Justice.

Jinchuu.

Suzaku's lips twitched and he said, under his breath, "All of them, huh?"

He quickly schooled his features into neutrality as the crowd of Japanese officials around him began clamoring out in panic.

"Guards! Get that filth out of the prince's sight!" Yamamoto practically squeaked, turning towards him and bowing again and again apologetically. "My prince, I am so sorry. Those filthy Brittanians, I don't know how they got there."

"It's alright, Yamamoto-san," Suzaku said dismissively, striding towards the fence purposefully, to the shock of those assembled.

Before he got more than halfway across the tarmac, he felt a hand grasp his arm and turned around to face one of Milly's rare glares.

_Don't be stupid,_ she urged silently.

Suzaku sighed and stopped where he was, shrugging out of Milly's grasp as he turned back to face the crowd of Jinchuu supporters.

"We don't want you here you false prince!" called out someone else from the crowd. "You and your father will be punished for coming to our lands!"

"Go back to your Emperor before Jinchuu chooses you next!"

"He'll smite you like all the others!"

Suzaku felt a laugh rise up in his gut and he quashed it quickly. It wasn't just the hilarity of his alter-ego being used as a threat against himself. It was a laugh of triumph that threatened to leak out from his lips.

People were starting to believe.

"The Jinchuu movement has started to grow, especially after the incident in Dudley," came a quiet tenor, and Suzaku turned to face Kanon, who was standing off to the side, watching the crowd with a bemused expression. "The BLF hasn't always been popular with the people, but this Jinchuu on the other hand…"

"Is nothing but trash," Yamamoto interrupted, glaring furiously at Kanon. "And the prince does not need to hear such garbage. Guards, clean this filth up."

Before Suzaku could say a word the guards, who had come up behind him with a large, powerful firehose, hit the crowd with a violent torrent of water, knocking several of them over and causing the others to cry out.

Whirling about in fury, Suzaku stormed over to the guards, roaring "STOP!"

The guards, being military personnel, instinctively obeyed, though they gave him a questioning look.

"Your highness… my prince…" one of them started, but Suzaku raised a hand to interrupt him.

"All you're doing is fueling the fire," Suzaku snapped irritably. "Escort those people away if you must, but don't resort to things like this."

Without waiting for an acknowledgment to his orders Suzaku turned on his heel and stormed off.

As his anger faded, however, and everyone else turned away to whisper amongst themselves at his actions, Suzaku finally allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction that he was finally, finally getting things to change.

00000

Lelouch, clad in the now familiar white cloaked garb of Rei, stepped into the planning room, pushing the door shut behind him as he did so.

The room was small, as this meeting was restricted to only himself, Major Minami, and Kallen. The room was dominated by the large metal table, with a large touchscreen on its surface, and had several chairs positioned around it.

"Rei, sir," Minami said respectfully, standing next to the door, bowing his head as he handed him a manila folder. "The briefing is just about to start."

"Trying to be fashionably late?" Kallen said sarcastically, sprawled out on the far corner chair, legs propped up insolently on top of the table.

Lelouch ignored the provocation, opening the folder and glancing at the contents absently. The plan was his, of course, but it was military protocol and Lelouch felt that the others would feel better if he adapted to the chain of command.

The briefing room felt empty without Naoto and Sancia, and Lelouch wished Naoto were there to help him, at least in regards to Kallen.

"Okay," Lelouch said quietly, "Let's review the plan. At precisely 1700 we will begin the operation and load the prisoner, designated as 'Ichibana', into the transport."

He tapped the touch screen to bring up the technical specifications of the transport, and then of the _Amaterasu_ and the Shinran.

" The _Amaterasu_ and three Shinran Knightmares delegated from Taiyou Company, designated as Taiyou-One through Four will act as a guard," Lelouch said softly, and brought up the image of a sleek, angular aircraft. "A squadron of Taka-class fighters will be our air support as Sora-One. Command callsign is 'Bishamonten-Actual'."

"The _Bishamonten _is too large to function as a command vehicle for this op," Minami commented, raising an eyebrow as he read off of the file. "But it states that there will be a command presence with the convoy."

Lelouch nodded. "Indeed. That is why I will be accompanying the convoy in a command-variant Shinran that the Commander requisitioned for me, as listed on page five of your briefing."

The room practically imploded with noise from both Minami and Kallen as they both stood and began to protest.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Rei, sir, I have to protest-"

Lelouch raised a hand and barked, "This is non-negotiable. The Commander has consented to my presence and that is final."

Minami backed down with a reluctant look, but Kallen remained standing, fixing him with an annoyed look. "Do you even know how to pilot? A Knightmare isn't some child's plaything."

"I have experience," Lelouch said quietly. He had read a number of technical manuals this week alone, and Kaguya had requisitioned him a civilian construction Knightmare last year when they attempted to build the "World's Biggest Pizza" in accordance with C.C.'s whims.

"Let's hope you do," Kallen said darkly, rolling her eyes as she settled back down into her seat. "If you get into a bind I am not risking myself or the lives of my men to save your sorry ass."

"Duly noted," Lelouch said dryly, and with a few quick keystrokes, he illustrated the route that the prison transport and its guard would take. "The convoy will not stop for any reason until it reaches its destination, the battleship _Kojiro_, at which time we will hand over custody of Ichibana and let the Navy take care of the rest."

Lelouch paused and frowned beneath his helmet. "Our route is fairly secure all around, however, there is a security checkpoint just before the port is, as noted in your briefings, our biggest weakness. At that hour we will have a large amount of civilian traffic going in and out of the area, and we will have to raise the security gate as well. We can clear them out but there will still be a short delay that may be fatal if we linger."

"What's the estimated window?" Kallen questioned, without looking up from her folder.

00000

"Three minutes," Cornelia stressed, tapping the whiteboard with her pen almost like a schoolteacher, a frown marring her face. "That's how long we think that the convoy will be held up at the security checkpoint as they clear a path and move on through. That is our window of opportunity."

Darlton, standing next to her, coughed and spoke up. "We will have Weinberg and Kewell set up in a warehouse nearby to establish flanking fire and allow the Commander's team to move in. Two eighteen wheeler trucks will be used to transport the Commander's team into position. With any luck we will get close enough that we will have the element of surprise once we are to deploy."

Darlton paused and flicked a glance at Dorothe and Nonette, who were watching him with rapt attention. Nonette offered him a catty smile, and he continued, "Once we commence the attack they will almost certainly attempt to escape to the battleship Kojiro. The superior firepower of that ship is not something we can go up against, so we need to prevent that from happening. To this end, Ernst and Enneagram will infiltrate the security checkpoint and incapacitate the guards, preventing them from raising the gate and escaping."

"My team will consist of myself, Guilford, and Fenette," Cornelia continued, nodding her head towards Shirley in acknowledgment. "Fenette will use the _Amalthea_ to occupy Kouzuki Kallen and prevent her from reinforcing the others. Guilford and myself will mop up the survivors and free the prisoner."

Cornelia glanced around the room, repressing a wistful sigh as she looked down at the battered wooden table, and at the walls with fading and cracked paint. Malory's was a secure site, but it was not a true op room.

Once upon a time she had state of the art briefing rooms with touch screens and the best computers money could buy. Now, she was doing op briefings in the backrooms of bars and in cramped conference rooms.

Shirley was sitting to her right, a subtle sign of her favored position. Gino and Kewell were sitting next to Shirley, while Guilford sat to her left.

"What is the extraction point?" Kewell questioned.

Cornelia turned back to the whiteboard. Pinned at the center was a large map of the London area, and she circled one particular point. "There's an Underground station in Stepney which we will use to make our escape. Ernst and Nonette will escape via the sewer system and convene with us there." Nonette gave her a dirty look of annoyance which Cornelia pretended not to notice.

Payback was sweet.

"A secondary fallback point is established in Ratcliff, though be warned that support there is limited and it is to be used only in emergencies."

Cornelia crossed her arms behind her back and stared hard at her assembled subordinates, studying their faces. She met their eyes and saw the flame of resolve that was echoed in her own heart.

She smiled.

"This is a high risk operation. Brittania thanks you in advance for your dedicated service in these dark times."

She saluted primly, and everyone at the table stood and saluted back.

"All hail Brittania!" Darlton barked.

"All hail Brittania!" came the assembled reply.

"Dismissed," Cornelia said quietly.

00000

Kallen sighed as she leaned into the cockpit of the _Amaterasu_, doing her routine systems check distractedly.

"Sakuradite filter green. Landspinners are go. Factsphere sensors clear," Kallen mumbled, tapping on the control panel.

"_I expect you to be Kallen-chan and him to be Suzaku-kun. No more, no less."_

Since the disastrous call a few days ago, Kallen had not spoken to Suzaku. Even with Kaguya's words she was still hesitant to speak with Suzaku, fearing that any kind of contact might result in another argument.

"You seem distracted, Kallen-sama," came an unwelcome voice, and she scowled reflexively.

"I'm doing just fine, thank you Rei," Kallen said bitingly, straightened to turn around and face the masked man. It was only the two of them standing on the catwalk, with everyone else milling around the hangar trying to prepare for the operation.

Though the masked man said nothing, Kallen somehow got the impressing that he was smiling beneath the mask, and it irritated her.

"I do not need you hovering over me right before an op," Kallen said irritably, turning back towards her _Amaterasu_, powering up the screen. "My brother would never do that."

"I am not the Commander," Rei said quietly.

Kallen snorted. "That's for sure."

Rei said nothing for a few moments. "I would hope that if we are to work together, we could at least be professional about it," he murmured diplomatically, his tone dispassionate.

Kallen rolled her eyes and glanced back at him. "That's just it. I _am_ a professional. You're not. And that's what irritates me." She straightened her shoulders and drew herself to her full height, though she noticed in a bit of childish annoyance that Rei was still taller. "I don't like the fact that me and my people are in the hands of someone who won't even show his face."

"It's not your decision to make," Rei answered simply, and she almost took a swing at him.

Forcing herself to calm down, she clenched her jaw tight and spoke. "No, it is not. And I can accept it. But I won't like it."

Rei turned on his heel.

"You don't have to like it, Kallen-sama. Just do your duty."

00000

Not for the first time, Lelouch felt discomfort at hiding his presence beneath the anonymity of a mask and a false name. He did not regret the decision- it was the right one, but at the same time he felt discontent at having strained some of his relationships.

He enjoyed his civilian friendship with Kallen as Lelouch Lamperouge. She was a fun person to speak with, intelligent and lively, and what's more she shared his ideals regarding the unification of Brittania and Japan. He had come to consider her one of his closest friends in the past two months.

But as Rei, their professional relationship was nothing short of a disaster. They were on the same side, but Kallen the soldier, the Seventh Sword of the Shichitennou would never accept the presence of Rei the outsider, the man who never shows his face.

Lelouch sighed as he made his way down the corridor, Major Minami stepping in line behind him.

"I take it you heard that, Major," Lelouch said quietly.

"The argument was a bit loud, sir," Minami said apologetically, adjusting his glasses.

"You don't have to keep calling me sir," Lelouch reminded him with a frown. "I'm not an officer."

"No but you have the authority of one right now," Minami replied simply, bowing his head. "And besides, Kallen-sama's feelings are not shared by all of us."

Lelouch flicked a glance backwards at the Major with a curious look. "What do you mean by that, Major?"

Minami paused, leaning towards him with a slight smile.

"I mean, you are not… unwelcome," he admitted quietly. "There have been rumors of a ghostly advisor to the commander amongst the enlisted men. Someone who saved the lives of our men in the Underground and the lives of thousands of civilians at Kojiki airport. Someone who brings victory like the name of our command vehicle, Bishamonten."

Lelouch frowned beneath his helmet, pausing in the corridor. To his vague dismay, he noticed that several enlisted men and women had stopped at the far end of the corridor and began whispering amongst themselves as they did their very best not to stare at him.

"That's not what I want, Major," Lelouch said sternly, frowning as he pulled the Major aside. "I didn't come here for recognition or fame. My role is strictly that of support. Do you understand me?"

His grip on the Major's arm was tight, but if the other man noticed he said nothing. Minami only smiled. "The men believe what they want to believe. They believe you are a bringer of victory, and with you we can win our war."

Lelouch said nothing for a long while, and Minami added, "Rei, sir, there's nothing you can do about men talking amongst themselves. It makes them feel better. Won't you let them have that?"

Lelouch sighed. "I suppose there's nothing I can do." He released his hold on the Major's arm and started back down the corridor.

Neither of them spoke until they reached the holding cells. Lelouch said nothing as the Major got them through the security checkpoints, still lost in his own thoughts regarding being thought of as anything more than an anonymous benefactor.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, as they finally reached the main holding cell, and with a swipe of a keycard Lelouch was face to face with Clovis for the first time in seven years.

His brother looked more like an emaciated shadow of Clovis than anything else. The Clovis of Lelouch's memories was always primped and dressed to the nines, wearing expensive colognes and with pale golden hair that Lelouch knew for a fact took at least half an hour to prepare.

This Clovis had stringy, unwashed hair that looked more like tarnished bronze than gold, his features gaunt and unshaven. The stubble in particular gave Lelouch pause- it was ragged and uneven, and made Lelouch remember the first time Clovis ever tried shaving.

The memories were bittersweet, and Lelouch forced them down as Clovis looked up at him with a confused expression.

"What are you supposed to be?" Clovis asked, bewildered.

"For now, your warden," Lelouch said simply, and nodded to the guards, who pulled Clovis up to his feet. "You're being transferred."

"So the Japs are using costumed freaks now?" Clovis remarked rudely, snickering. "Must be getting desperate."

For his comment he got a sharp blow from one of the guards. Lelouch was about to speak when he got a warning look from Minami, who shook his head slightly.

"Prisoners don't get to talk," Minami barked roughly. "Take him to the transport."

Lelouch watched his brother go, unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed that his brother had not instantly seen through his disguise.

Briefly, he wished they were still children again, innocent and free. He wished he was still living in the Aries Palace, pulling pranks with Clovis and laughing at his brother's attempts to defeat him in chess.

Then he sighed and turned away to take his brother to a lifetime in prison.

00000

Despite Kallen's rather vindictive hopes that Rei would be laughably inept at piloting, she was forced to admit, even silently and only to herself, that he was not a bad pilot. He was rough around the edges and he was no savant, but he was a fair hand at the controls and he moved in formation with the others passably, like a fresh recruit out of basic.

_ "Bishamonten-Actual to Kojiro. We have reached checkpoint two,"_ Rei said quietly, drifting behind Taiyou-Four.

_"Understood Actual. See you soon,"_ came the static filled reply.

Kallen shook herself from her thoughts as she glanced around warily. This was the area Rei had spoken of as the perfect ambush point. Nothing around them looked too suspicious. The civilians had been moved back by the police forces, giving them a nice breadth of road to move on through. There were a few sedans nearby, as well as a couple of large unmarked trucks that gave Kallen pause.

As her eyes swept across the area, a faint glint of light stopped her, and she was just about to say something when the terribly familiar sound of gunfire erupted around her, and suddenly Taiyou-Two was screaming over the radio as his Shinran detonated in a whirl of flame and shrapnel.

_"Enemy fire! I repeat, enemy fire!"_ Rei barked shakily, _"All units take cover! Secure the prisoner!"_

Kallen whirled about, attempting to position the Amaterasu behind the transport to take cover-

When the eighteen wheeler trucks to her right opened and two Sidhe Knightmares surged out from their metal confines, accompanied by a sleek, blade-like Knightmare the likes of which Kallen had never seen before.

"What the hell is that?" Kallen exclaimed in surprise, and her shock at the sudden appearance of a new enemy caused her to almost miss Rei's words.

_"God in Heaven, it can't be…"_

Kallen's moment of pause at his words nearly cost Kallen her life as the unknown Knightmare closed the gap with frightening speed, so fast that only her honed reflexes saved her life as she pulled the _Amaterasu_ back before the enemy's dark, crimson-tinged blades slashed through the air with a terrible hiss.

_"Actual! We need orders_!" came the panicked scream of Taiyou-Three, one Private Ishida.

_ "Stay away from that Knightmare!"_ Rei snapped suddenly, seemingly reinvigorated by the scream. _"It's far more dangerous than the Sidhe! Taiyou-Three and Four, you're on me- we'll handle the Sidhe. One, you're the only one who can take on the Amalthea- keep it off of the transport until it can get clear. Sora-One, we need air support now! Get that enemy fire off of us!" _

With some semblance of order restored, Kallen was able to direct her attention back to the battle, dodging the enemy's attack again, though only narrowly.

_ This guy's as fast as me_, Kallen admitted reluctantly, parrying the enemy's next blow. Though her enemy's blades were thin and attached to the elbows in a rather odd fashion, the speed of that blow gave it enough momentum that even her heavier and more durable claws were pushed back.

Enemy fire rained down nearby, and as her allies fired back, Kallen seized the initiative against her mysterious opponent, unleashing her fearsome blinding ability-

Only to have her enemy dodge swiftly to one side, out of the line of fire from the blast and allowing them an opening.

Kallen's eyes widened as the enemy Knightmare struck out at her with a vicious series of blows. Though she was able to keep the blades from slicing the _Amaterasu_ apart, shallow cuts were left along the _Amaterasu_'s chest, causing the armor integrity warning alarm to go off angrily and knocking her straight back through the highway barrier.

"Emperor above this bastard is fast," Kallen swore. Any deeper and her critical systems would have been destroyed. No one had ever come that close to destroying her before, not even _Jinchuu_.

_Who the hell is this guy?_

00000

Shirley couldn't help but smile as she drove back the mighty Kouzuki Kallen, Seventh Sword of the Emperor Himself.

Just a lowly commoner from a broken nation, fighting on par and _winning _against the highborn noble feared throughout the empire.

This was the kind of justice the world needed.

Gripping the throttle, Shirley lashed out with the _Amalthea_'s MVS blades again, gunning the engines hard as she did so. The key to using the machine, she had learned, was mastering the ability to use the engines in combination with the blades to outmaneuver the enemy.

To her credit, Kouzuki dodged beautifully, adapting to her speed instantly after nearly having been eviscerated, coming back at her with claws glowing with Radiant Surge energy, meaning that her lighter MVS blades would take heavy damage from coming into contact with them.

Drawing back using her superior speed, Shirley fired off a burst from the recessed guns in her torso, landing a handful of shots on the _Amaterasu_, content now with using her greater agility to control the fight now that she was sure she could outmaneuver Kouzuki.

Shirley's grin widened as she slashed again and again, pressuring Kouzuki, focusing all of the ace's attention on her instead of the Commander and Guilford, who, at this time, should have been overwhelming the guards.

Shirley spared a sideways glance as Kouzuki was pushed back, trying to catch a glimpse of the greater battle around them. She saw the Commander's Sidhe exchanging fire with the remaining three guards, one of which looked like a command variant Shinran rather than the traditional rank and file, judging from the enlarged ornamentation that doubled as extensions on the communications array that protruded from the helmet-like head.

That was all she had time to view as Kouzuki closed the gap again, the chestplate glowing once more with that fearsome blinding light that made close combat with the _Amaterasu _such a deadly proposition.

_Still relying on the same tactics_, Shirley thought in distaste, preparing another violent shift away to avoid the blast and moving her blades in position for another flurry of blows-

When Kouzuki's glowing claws made sudden contact with the ground, unleashing the black-red energy at point blank range with explosive force and propelling her _above_ Shirley, claws poised now to shred her to bits.

_Shit!_

Without thinking Shirley shifted her left arm blade up and shielded herself, catching the burning claw. Kouzuki detonated the energy again, knocking her backwards.

The alert flashed on the monitor, indicating that the MVS blade would not sustain another hit and was forced to retract, leaving her with only one of the blades.

It was time for her to leave.

"Commander!" Shirley gritted out. "I'm taking some hits- is the prisoner secure?"

"_One moment, Fenette,"_ Cornelia replied harshly, her voice terse. _"The enemy is putting up a stronger resistance than I anticipated, using the transport truck as a shield. We will attempt to break through their fire and close the gap with our superior close combat abilities. Hold out a little longer."_

Shirley set her jaw determinedly, and boosted forward again to engage Kouzuki.

"Understood."

00000

"Taiyou-One! That machine is obviously trying to distract you, not defeat you!" Lelouch barked. "Take the first chance you get to break away and support Taiyou-Three and Four!"

_"I already know that you ass!"_ Kallen snapped back irritably. _"Now let me do my job and butt out!" _

She closed the channel, and Lelouch watched as the _Amaterasu_ once more clashed with the weapon that his own mother had once wielded, the two machines a whirlwind blur of steel and violence that savaged the area around them.

_How can the Amalthea be here_, Lelouch thought worriedly, eyes wide beneath his mask, even as he continued to fire a steady burst of fire at the enemy Sidhe Knightmares.

That machine disappeared at the end of the Three Month War, so how could it possibly have resurfaced here and now, of all places?

_Cornelia must have been hiding it this whole time, waiting for a pilot capable of utilizing it, _Lelouch deducted, frowning as he barked out, "Taiyou-Three, shift fire ten degrees to your left The enemy's secondary squad must be suppressed if we are to have any hope of getting clear! Four, keep fire on those Sidhe, do not let them get close!"

As they acknowledged his orders, he switched channels. "Sora-One, weapons free! I repeat, weapons free! Use your Raiden 20mms only, I don't want missiles hitting London soil!"

_"Understood Actual. ETA in thirty seconds,"_ the pilot said smoothly, unrattled by the sounds of gunfire.

Switching channels one more time, Lelouch said impatiently, "Transport, how long till you can get Ichibana out of here?"

_"We can't hail the security gate,"_ the driver responded, sounding panicked. _"They're not responding!"_

"Shit, they must have gotten to them first," Lelouch swore, scowling as he whirled about, raising his Knightmare's rifle. "Clear the gate! I'll blast it down!"

Just as he shifted his attention away, however, it seemed the enemy seized the opportunity and burst forth from their position, closing the distance rapidly with their fire so divided.

_They were waiting,_ Lelouch realized, even as he tried to shift back around to face the enemy, shouting a warning as he did so.

It was too late for Taiyou-Four, who was impaled on the end of a Sidhe's lance before being tossed aside like a piece of trash. Taiyou-Three tried to avenge his fallen comrade, firing off his Slash Harkens but the Sidhe moved swiftly and emptied a full burst of ammunition from its sub-machine gun into the Shinran's arm and torso, shredding through the armor in a second, sending it crashing down to the hard asphalt of the road.

"Damn you!" Lelouch cursed, firing off a burst even as he was driven backwards by the other Knightmare. His opponent quite obviously outclassed him in pure skill, forcing Lelouch back again and again, slicing through Lelouch's rifle with his last attack as his ally moved in on the transport, using the lance to cut through the metal hull.

"Sora-One! Where the hell is my air support!" Lelouch called out desperately, gritting his teeth. He was not going to let Clovis fall into the hands of the BLF.

_"Sora-One to Actual. Weapons free, we are engaging now. Danger close,"_ the pilot replied smoothly, and the air around them roared with the sound of heavy gunfire.

To his credit, the Sidhe who was fighting Lelouch immediately broke off to engage, firing back with his own gun, forcing the fighters to break formation to avoid being shot down.

Kallen and the pilot of the _Amalthea_ remained locked in a bitter battle, the _Amaterasu_'s claw being relentlessly parried by the remaining blade of the Brittanian machine.

Lelouch started towards the enemy again, releasing his Stun Tonfas to attempt to engage at close range, hoping that if he could distract the _Amalthea_ that Kallen would have a chance to turn things around-

When both Sidhe and the _Amalthea _broke off just as suddenly as they appeared, all three dropping a oblong metal object before retreating off one of the side roads rapidly.

_"Smoke!"_ Kallen shouted out, before each of the objects burst and released a cloud of smoke and chaff, blinding and confusing their sensors. _"Moving to pursue!"_

"Kallen-sama! Wait!" Lelouch called out, moving towards her.

As they tried moving in pursuit, the supporting enemy fire picked up again, keeping Kallen and himself from pursuing as they were driven back.

_"Actual! They got him! They got Ichibana!" _came the panicked yells of the transport driver.

"Damnit!" Lelouch swore, slamming his fist down on the control panel furiously.

_"Actual! Taking fire from the enemy's support squad! Should we pursue?" _Sora-One questioned, the fighters soaring back overhead for another pass, the air being filled with a storm of bullets from their still unseen opponents.

Lelouch set his jaw and sighed. Their forces were down three Knightmares already, not to mention the people who were probably killed inside of the port to get the BLF agents in place. A pursuit would be long and bloody and only end in greater casualties.

And he couldn't accept that.

"No. Pick up our casualties and head back to the farm, Sora-One. All units, mission is a failure. I repeat, mission is a failure, we are heading home. Actual out," Lelouch said quietly, sighing again.

"_That's it? You're just giving up!"_ Kallen burst in furiously. _"I almost had that damn Knightmare!"_

"We just lost three men, Kallen-sama," Lelouch replied softly, "I'm not risking more in what is likely a futile pursuit. We lost today. There'll be another time."

Kallen snorted in disgust_. "The mighty Rei admits defeat. Well, I guess that's one bright spot to this."_

Lelouch said nothing in reply. She was right, after all.

He had failed.


	17. Chapter 16: Fraying At The Edges

"_Fanatics in power and the funnel of a tornado have this in common- the narrow path in which they move is marked by violence and destruciton."_

-Oscar Ostuland

Chapter 16

Fraying At The Edges

"And that concludes my debriefing, apart from the official AAR submitted by Major Minami," Lelouch said quietly into the phone, sounding utterly dejected as his fists clenched. He was standing at his window, eyes distractedly taking in the London cityscape. "If you want to end our deal, I will understand and accept your decision."

_"End our deal? Bit melodramatic, don't you think? You sound like those old samurai offering to end their lives to reclaim their honor,"_ Naoto joked weakly, before continuing in a more serious tone, _"You encountered an unexpected and extremely powerful enemy and were overcome. I'm not going to waste time on recriminations. I doubt I would have done much better. I want to talk about this Knightmare though- the Amalthea, you said?"_

"That's correct," Lelouch answered, unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed that Naoto hadn't decided to just end their partnership. "It's a Fifth Gen Knightmare designed by the Ashford Foundation just before the war."

_"And they kept it hidden all this time? Why not use such a powerful weapon? It was strong enough to be a match for the Amaterasu, from what you told me,"_ Naoto questioned.

"The last time someone tried to pilot that machine it put that person in the hospital for months on the verge of death," Lelouch said tersely, unwilling to go into further detail. "It's as dangerous to the user as it is to the enemy. Either they've corrected its flaws or they've decided to start sacrificing their pilots for victory."

_"Either way, it's a problem,"_ Naoto concluded, sighing. _"Like we really needed another."_

"How has the Imperial Council reacted to this?" Lelouch asked softly, tapping his fingers against the windowpane absently. "They can't have been pleased that we let such a high profile prisoner escape…"

_ "You let me worry about the politics. Concentrate on the matters at hand," _Naoto said sternly, in a voice that let Lelouch know that he was not to press this issue. _"I know this is a hard blow, but we cannot let it stop us from doing our jobs. I need you sharp and ready to face the next crisis, not dwelling on the past."_

Lelouch straightened at the brisk, commanding tone, and responded swiftly, "Understood."

_"Good. Now,"_ Naoto continued, his voice still demanding obedience, _"Give me your projections for what the BLF will do now that they have Clovis and this new Knightmare."_

"In this we may have a chance for relief," Lelouch answered. "Clovis has knowledge of Luciano Bradley, which is information we have thus far suppressed from the public. Luciano's ideology does not fit with the BLF's, and will hopefully divide them in the coming months if that man continues to act."

_ "That's a bit optimistic,"_ Naoto noted, his tone reserved and skeptical.

"Like I said, it's only a small chance, but one we may be able to rely on if Luciano resurfaces, which will put this country in a conflict of the BLF, Luciano's group, and a third faction against our own," Lelouch replied quietly. "The third we have to contend with is the smallest faction, but by far the most volatile."

_"The Jinchuu faction,"_ Naoto understood immediately, his tone suddenly dark. _"I hear the movement supporting that man is beginning to gain steam around the country."_

"Minor protests and graffiti on walls is the extent of it so far, but it indicates that the mood of the country is steadily swinging in his favor. The BLF will have to either align themselves with Jinchuu or oppose him in order to survive the storm," Lelouch murmured, shutting his eyes as he imagined the kind of carnage that would be unleashed if the people really did follow Jinchuu's radical ideals.

_"Continue your investigation into Jinchuu. We have to close down that movement before it gains any more headway. While you're doing that, start planning a major offensive against the BLF for when I return with the rest of our forces. I want significant targets we can hit to cripple their movement. If they're willing to perform such a high-risk operation like rescuing Clovis, there's no telling what they'll do next. We need to take the initiative,"_ Naoto said briskly, his frown practically audible over the phone.

"Understood, Commander," Lelouch replied.

00000

"You were pretty lenient with him," Sancia commented, sitting nearby at the lacquered wooden table, as Naoto shut the phone. The room allotted to him was a fairly spacious two room suite, with the parlor being big enough to accommodate several people.

Naoto gave her a helpless look, shrugging his shoulders as he leaned back into the couch, taking a long drink from his glass, relishing the familiar burn of the whiskey. The two of them were having a quiet drink together in his rooms to discuss security plans for the next day and to review the after action reports that Minami had sent over.

"You should have mentioned how this failure has dealt a serious blow to the credibility that you and Kallen-sama have been building for the past several years," Sancia continued coolly, raising an eyebrow, raising her own glass but not drinking from it just yet. "That it should call into question this clandestine alliance, and if we should really be entrusting military resources to a person who won't show his face."

"He's a better commander than me," Naoto replied defensively, crossing his arms as he stared down his lieutenant.

"By virtue of random talent. Not by experience or because he earned his command," Sancia refuted, shaking her head as she took a slow sip of her wine. "Kallen-sama may be right in thinking you too trusting."

Naoto scowled at that. "You're being awfully opinionated tonight. Has time amongst the nobility given you a broader way of thinking?"

His tone was a little sharper than intended, and he briefly regretted that drink.

Sancia, to her credit, raised a single eyebrow and fixed him with a frigid stare. "As the XO, I'm the one who's supposed to critique and refine your plans. And I assumed our partnership gave me license to speak my mind. Forgive me, Naoto-sama, for not knowing my place."

Naoto's scowl deepened at the 'Naoto-sama', and he let out a frustrated growl as he got up and strode over to the liquor cabinet. "You know that's not what I meant. I need you to speak your mind. I just… I need you and Kallen to trust me as well."

"We do trust you. It's Rei we don't trust," Sancia corrected, finishing her drink with a collected expression. "Just what did he tell you while you two were alone that made you trust him so much?"

"He showed me his face. If I really didn't trust him, I could just reveal who he was and let the pieces fall. I know he showed me his face just so I would have that insurance, to help bridge trust," Naoto responded immediately, picking up the decanter and refilling his own glass, and then, after a moment's pause, Sancia's. "But I don't trust him because I could destroy him at a moment's notice. I'm not Kaname. I trust him because I believe he's a good person. The kind of person we could follow to an era where Kallen wouldn't have to be a soldier just to prove herself to the whole Empire."

Sancia looked doubtful, and Naoto continued, "Look, back during that first mission, when Rei took command… did you even realize how naturally things felt, following his orders? His strength was great enough that on his first command even you obeyed instantly."

"That's just professional habit," Sancia said in denial, though there was something in her tone that suggested she didn't quite believe her own words.

Naoto rolled his eyes. "I've got the credibility, he's got the talent. I think this partnership is the kind of thing that suits my ideals perfectly."

"I'm not questioning your ideals. I'm questioning if this path is the right one for us," Sancia argued, pounding her fist on the table as she fixed him with a narrowed look.

Naoto's irritation finally got the best of him, and he snapped, "That's enough. My decision is final. I appreciate your concerns, but this is how I believe we should act for now."

Sancia's face might as well have been carved of stone as she stood abruptly and bowed at the waist. "Understood, Commander."

And without waiting for another word, she left, leaving Naoto to brood alone.

00000

"I have to hand it to you sister," Clovis said delightedly, smiling widely as he all but devoured the plate in front of him. "Your timing could not have been better. I had all but resigned myself to a cell in Shin Kyoto for the rest of my life."

Cornelia did not share his happiness, staring at him with a distant expression from across the table. Their royal reunion was held far away from London, in the safety of her private quarters within the Bastion in Scotland.

"You were reckless," she scolded, frowning. "What were you thinking? Father's throne won't be won by taking civilians hostages."

Clovis rolled his eyes, spearing a piece of steak almost viciously.

"Oh come on, don't be naïve. Even at the height of the Empire under our father, we could not hope to drive the Japanese out. And with our army scattered and broken now, what choice did I have but play the terrorist?" he said defensively. "Besides, if I hadn't been betrayed by Bradley…"

"That's another thing. You should have known what kind of person Luciano Bradley was from seven years ago during the Bloody Sunday incident," Cornelia continued irritably, fixing him with a glare. "Even back then he was a bloodthirsty monster more than he was a soldier."

Clovis said nothing to that, content with finishing his plate and wiping his mouth daintily using a napkin. When he finally did speak, he smiled lightly and placed his chin in his hands, propping his elbows up on the table. "Oh come now, sister, do we have to talk about this right now? It's the first time I've been able to see you in seven years and all you're doing is scolding me like I'm still the child who put bugs in your hair."

Cornelia did not smile, but her expression relaxed somewhat at his words and she sighed reluctantly. "I'm sorry, Clovis. It's been a rough seven years," she said quietly, finally starting on her own plate.

"Ever the military girl," Clovis said with a smile. "With Guilford and Darlton around with you, it's almost like you're still 'The Witch of Brittania'."

"I am still a soldier. We are still fighting. I do not accept the surrender Schneizel and Odysseus offered in the Windsor Treaty," Cornelia all but snarled, slamming her hand down on the table, rattling the plates. "The surrender we never would have had to give if not for Lelouch…"

She flicked her gaze up at him, and her lips twisted into a fierce smile. "But I finally found him, Clovis. I found Lelouch."

Clovis blinked. "He's still alive? I would have thought he died in the chaos of the Japanese subjugation after he disappeared. He was half a corpse when I last saw him…"

"No he survived, and he's in London," Cornelia answered swiftly. "One of my agents, the pilot of the _Amalthea_, is currently tailing him and trying to find out if he has anything to do with that Jinchuu character."

"Jinchuu?" Clovis wrinkled his nose in distaste, taking a sip of his wine. "That's another bastard I want words with after his interference at the airport."

"We worked with him earlier this month during the raid on Dudley," Cornelia responded freely, shaking her head in warning. "He's a solid asset, for now at least."

Clovis didn't look convinced, but he dropped the subject, instead returning to the previous issue. "So you have a pilot tailing Lelouch? That's your new protégé, right? The redhead?"

Cornelia nodded, finishing her own plate with a satisfied sigh. Darlton made a surprisingly good cook sometimes. She supposed it had to do with raising five boys after having lost his wife to cancer.

"She's a pretty young thing… you aren't trying a honey pot on Lelouch, are you?" Clovis joked, raising an eyebrow. "I doubt our little brother has changed so much as to be deceived by a pretty face."

Cornelia grimaced. "You know I've never liked the honey pot schemes. And I just need his information, if any. And a full confession of his identity, to make sure. Then Fenette has orders to terminate."

At that, even Clovis balked, choking on his wine. "You… you're planning on_ killing _Lelouch_?"_

Cornelia gave him a flat stare. "Absolutely."

Clovis frowned. "Just like that, huh?" he leaned back into his chair, sighing as he draped his arms over the back.

"Do you disapprove?" Cornelia asked, clicking her tongue.

"I think it doesn't matter if I do or not, you'll still give the order," Clovis responded tartly, rolling his eyes. "None of our siblings except Schneizel and Euphie had the power to change your mind."

The atmosphere chilled considerably after that, and Clovis realized he had said precisely the wrong thing.

"Ah… sorry," Clovis apologized, bowing his head. "That was insensitive of me."

Cornelia said nothing, and stood. "It's in the past," she said coolly. "All that matters now is avenging Euphie."

And with that, she turned on her heel. "I'm going to bed. You can see yourself out."

Clovis watched her go with a shake of his head. "We all miss her, you know," he murmured softly.

00000

It had been two days since his argument with Sancia, and she hadn't spoken to him since.

Oh, she had said words around him, and maybe even to him, but she had said them in the mask of Lieutenant Sancia, not as Sancia, the woman he had served with for years.

Even now, as he all but glared at her across the crowded conference room, she dutifully met his gaze neutrally, her face an impassive mask.

"I understand your desire for justice for your slain citizens, of course, Representative Kirihara," Senator Dantes said calmly, folding his hands. "But Orsus Zoktavir's actions, as I have said before, are ultimately a matter that we of the Federation will punish alone. I'm afraid our citizens will not stand for a decorated military officer to be simply handed over for execution by a foreign power- you understand what kind of precedent that would set, right?"

"With all due respect Senator," Naoto found himself saying, wearing the mask of the Kouzuki heir, "Orsus Zoktavir's military record is a string of bloody incidents, the Chinese Massacre just being the latest. I would hardly call him a decorated officer."

"Perhaps rather than demanding immediate execution," Kaname cut in diplomatically, "We could discuss what actions you _will_ be taking against Zoktavir instead?"

There was a shuffling of papers, and this time it was Arthur Camlann who responded. "He is of course being held in an undisclosed state prison, and we are arranging for a military tribunal to be convened after these talks are finished."

"Would it be at all possible to have a representative of the Empire allowed to sit in on this tribunal?" Kaname questioned, raising an eyebrow.

There was a cough, and a broad shouldered man, sitting at the corner edge of the table, spoke up. The nameplate set out before him read Colonel Vincent Liebert.

"I'm afraid that is internal Einherjar business, and as we are not officially part of the Federation but a private corporation, we are under no obligation to allow a witness." The tone of his voice was coolly professional, edging at the fringes of impolite.

The message was the same as it had been for the duration of these talks thus far. Einherjar was protecting its own, and though the Federation was willing to make concessions, in the end Einherjar had all the cards.

"Einherjar has yet to make a formal apology for this incident as well," Naoto reminded his Eurasian counterpart, his tone sharp.

"Which we will release upon the conclusion of these talks, Commander. Currently we are trying to ease the tensions between our two nations, of which this incident is simply the last in a long line," Colonel Liebert responded immediately, his voice still damnably neutral. "The Senate has been requesting another statement from your government regarding our missing Sakuradite tanker and the recent piracy that has been going on in the Atlantic."

"As we have said before, the Empire denies any involvement with the disappearance of the _Kaiser Krieg,"_ Kaname cut in insistently, his smile still fixed upon his face.

"The disappearance has led to a significant upswing in fuel prices throughout the Federation, which is significantly hurting our growth in this economic recession we have been suffering," Arthur commented, and glanced over at Naoto, who met his gaze warily. "Our requests for further shipments to supplement this from Imperial Sakuradite companies such as your own Kirihara Corporation have been met with silence."

"I'm afraid our own Sakuradite needs must take precedence over that of foreign powers," Kaname said simply, his smile wider than ever. "Though of course, I will contact my grandfather and see if something can be done."

And here was the real crux of the matter, Naoto contemplated. It always came back to Sakuradite. The most precious resource in the world. With the rise of the Knightmare Frame, having a steady supply of Sakuradite was going to be the key in any long term military planning. No army could run without fuel for very long.

"I say we should stop here for now," Kaname said softly, smiling genially. "We can continue this on the morrow."

As everyone broke away from the meeting, Naoto tried to catch Sancia at the door, but she brushed past him, speaking instead with Kirihara Kaname.

"All is not well in paradise, it seems?" Arthur commented, smiling as he sidled up behind Naoto. "You and your lovely Lieutenant seem to be at odds."

"Private disagreement," Naoto said tersely. "If you'll excuse me."

As if he had not heard him, Arthur continued to tail Naoto, speaking as though he had not been dismissed.

"It appears our talks are progressing backwards," Arthur commented airily, "We've made no headway this past week."

Naoto said nothing, as though pretending Arthur wasn't there would drive the man away.

"It's almost as if this whole thing is a farce, stalling for time because Zoktavir jumped the gun or something," Arthur murmured, and Naoto snorted.

"That's a bit convoluted," he said, finally deigning to reply. "Why bother with all this if it's just a farce?"

"The Federation is not like your Empire, where in the end it's the Emperor who dictates policy," Arthur responded immediately, sounding pleased that he had finally gotten a rise out of the other man. "The Senate is a bickering hydra, a multi-headed beast that never agrees with itself. Dantes and his people are a pro-Japan faction that advocates peace. Colonel Liebert, Einherjar, and their supporters in the senate are against peace because it's bad for business."

"And whose side are you on, Secretary?" Naoto challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Me? Why, I'm here to help you, Commander. I'm on your side- for now anyway," Arthur replied vaguely, smiling candidly. "Keep what I've said in mind, Commander. And enjoy the rest of your evening."

And with a polite and fluid bow, Arthur left.

00000

Arthur chuckled as he made his way back to his private rooms. Kouzuki really was an interesting fellow.

With that same pleased smile still on his face, he plopped himself down on the desk chair, spinning delightedly around as he brought forth a small laptop computer from his briefcase, powering it on and typing on the keyboard for a few moments, bringing up a video stream.

He identified the people on the screen immediately.

Colonel Liebert was in full view of the camera feed he had installed, along with another man whom Arthur knew by face if not personally.

_Captain Antonin Strakhov_, he recalled, fixing his gaze on the solidly built, dark-bearded man that stood rigidly near the corner, holding a glass of liquor near his lips as he spoke.

"_Everything is in place, Colonel,"_ he said in Russian accented German.

_"And no one suspects anything?"_ the Colonel questioned.

_"All our men have reported no changes, both from the Japanese and from the Senate delegation,"_ Strakhov responded.

_"What of the Secretary? Private Lucero is tailing him, correct? He still reports that the boy has no idea?"_ Liebert pressed, and Arthur couldn't help but smile.

_"Lucero reports nothing unusual,"_ Strakhov answered, shaking his head. _"What is it about that man which makes the General so nervous?"_

_"That is not for us to question, Captain,"_ Liebert said sharply. _"Now get ready. Operation: Daybreak begins tonight. Einherjar, heil!"_

_ "Einherjar, heil!" _Strakhov saluted, and Arthur cut the feed, his good mood fading rapidly.

"They're moving a little faster than expected," Arthur murmured, tapping the desk with one finger rhythmically as he cupped his chin in his other hand. "I suppose we will as well."

00000

"Wow… this is so pretty!" Euphemia smiled brightly, taking in Kallen's appearance with wide, appreciative eyes that made Kallen blush with embarrassment.

"Ah… thanks for helping me get this on, Euphemia-san," Kallen said gratefully, inclining her head slightly as she raised her arms, studying the colorful kimono she was wearing closely.

It was predominantly white, patterned with purple flowers around the sleeves, chest, and hem above her ankles. The large woman's obi that held the kimono together was a deep blue, with the cloth reaching out so far that she had to drape them over her elbows. Her red hair loosely framed her face, accentuating her chin, and she was wearing a light layer of makeup (which was more than ever usually wore anyway).

All in all, it made Kallen feel more like a dress-up doll than a real person.

"You look wonderful, Kallen-sama," Euphemia gushed, still wide-eyed. "Like a real princess."

"You think so?" Kallen asked, glancing over at herself in the mirror with a frown. "I mean, I like the kimono, but I don't know if this is me…"

"No it suits you perfectly!" Euphemia said insistently, so much so that Kallen was taken aback, studying the pink-haired maid with a bemused expression.

It was refreshing to have servants who actually talked like real people rather than mindless doormats, she had to admit, even though it was a little jarring from her usual experiences with the indentured help.

"Well thank you," Kallen said sincerely, smiling warmly.

A knock at the door gave them both pause, and it swung open to reveal Suzaku, who wore a long suffering expression as he walked in distractedly, saying, "Hey, Kallen, are you done getting ready yet? Kaguya won't stop texting me asking when we're going to arrive…"

He trailed off, suddenly seeing Kallen for the first time. His expression was unreadable, and Kallen squirmed.

"Hey… don't stare," Kallen said, uncharacteristically timid as she flushed, skirting his gaze.

"I um… I'm sorry," Suzaku apologized, bowing his head. "You look…"

He fell silent again, simply staring, and Kallen felt suddenly, irrationally irritated.

"I look like what?" she said challengingly, frowning as she crossed her arms.

"Beautiful," Suzaku answered, unthinking, and both of them fell silent at that. They both flushed, embarrassed, once again unable to meet the other's gaze, and it was only when Euphemia (who was feeling more awkward than either of them) squeaked as she tried subtly to leave the room that they were shaken out of their stupor.

"Ah… hey look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just walked in like that," Suzaku said quietly, shaking his head. "Do you need a few minutes?"

"No, I'm fine," Kallen said insistently, shaking her head.

"Oi what's with this lovely dovey rom-com setup!" Milly said loudly, startling everyone. Her grin was wide, her usual maid's bonnet was replaced with a black headband with an orange pumpkin on top, almost like a miniature crown atop her head. "Come along Euphie-chan, we're interrupting our master's next flag!"

Suzaku and Kallen both scowled simultaneously at that, and Suzaku muttered, "Not funny Milly."

With that, the tension seemed broken, and Kallen was able to take in Suzaku's own costume for the first time.

Where her own kimono was bright silk, Suzaku's kimono was darker, blue and black, with muted colors that, Kallen guessed, would accentuate her own when they were standing next to each other. The inner sections of the kimono were white as well, and matched the gray hakama. A katana was tightly held to him by the dark grey obi- to Suzaku's surprise, the sword was very much real. Kaguya had paid no expense.

"You look nice," Kallen commented. "Kaguya has a good eye."

"I'm still not sure about these costumes," Suzaku replied, shaking his head. "I mean, I feel a little silly."

"Kaguya-san said it was a fitting costume for our first debut as a…" Kallen hesitated over her next words, and finished lamely, "You know."

Suzaku didn't seem to notice her awkwardness, and muttered, "Kaguya and her ideas. Well, I guess these costumes are at least tame."

He sighed, and turned away. "Alright, well, I'll meet you outside. Kaguya wanted us to be there half an hour early at least."

As he walked away, Milly sighed, and as she followed him out the door she added, "I apologize for my master's thick head, Kallen-sama."

"It's fine," Kallen muttered, shaking her head. As she glanced back at herself in the mirror, she mumbled softly, "Beautiful, huh?"

00000

"That was surprisingly smooth of you," Milly commented lightly, eyes lidded in the picture of serenity as she trailed behind Suzaku.

Suzaku blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, master," Milly hummed. "Just admiring your… innocence."

Suzaku gave her a suspicious look and shook his head, deciding he'd rather not know.

"Well, have fun tonight," Milly said pleasantly. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That doesn't limit me to much. Besides, don't talk like that- you're coming with me," Suzaku said, and was inordinately pleased that Milly actually looked surprised at something he had done. Turnabout was fair play, after all.

"Master, you sly dog," Milly said saucily, giving him a wink. "Trying to get a three-way going on your date? Well, Kallen-sama is rather pretty…"

Suzaku felt as though a bit of blood might spurt out of his nose if he dwelled on _that _particular mental image for very long, so he quickly interrupted her, "That's not… Emperor's blood Milly, don't talk like that! I just wanted to give you the night off to have some fun. Don't read any more into it than that."

"Oh? My master might know more about girls than I thought," Milly said with a saccharine sweet smile. "What brought this sudden generosity on?"

"I've been relying on you a lot, Milly," Suzaku said quietly, turning towards her with a serious expression. "You've gone above and beyond what I've ever asked, and you've never once complained. I appreciate it."

Milly smiled widely, and tapped him on the forehead, right between the eyes. "That's a maid's job, master. And I am the best maid anyone could ask for. You don't ever need to thank me."

She paused, and tilted her head to one side questioningly. "What about Euphie?"

Suzaku smiled at that, and murmured wistfully, "I wish. But Lelouch will be there, and I can't risk him or Euphie finding each other. Not yet."

Milly frowned at that. "That's a little unfair to Euphie. Besides, this is a costume party, right? Why don't I just disguise her in plain sight?"

"I didn't prepare any costumes," Suzaku objected, frowning.

Milly sighed, shaking her head. "Suzaku-sama, you can't keep her locked up in the mansion like a princess in a tower. She has to experience some kind of new memories outside of being a maid."

Suzaku opened his mouth again, but, in the greatest breach of propriety Milly had done so far, she actually placed her finger over his mouth and shushed him. "Don't worry so much, master. I'll prepare a costume for myself and Euphie. We'll slip in after the party starts to avoid notice."

Suzaku met her gaze for a moment, then finally sighed. "I just won't win with you, will I?"

Milly flashed him a grin. "Never, master."

00000

"Oh, come on out already, Red!" Gino all but whined, banging on her door with a petulant look. "Rivalz let me see his costume!"

Gino was wearing a rather unusual outfit- a grey pinstripe suit jacket and matching slacks, with a dark burnt orange collared shirt and a gold chain around his neck. The most striking thing about his costume was the fake sideburns and beard on his chin, and the ostentatiously gift-wrapped present held under his arm.

Shirley flushed. Didn't he realize that the whole apartment complex could probably hear him yelling? "I'm still changing boss!"

Rivalz, standing next to Gino outside of her apartment, cocked his head to the side and said, "Oi, boss, not that I'm complaining- heck, I love this idea- but are you sure it's alright to be tagging along with us to this dance?"

He was wearing a matching grey suit jacket and slacks to Gino's, though his shirt was yellow instead of orange, and he had no golden chain. His sunglasses were nearly hanging off his nose, and he had fake sideburns on and a present of his own under his arm, just like Gino.

Gino grinned. "Consider it a secret mission. The Commander agrees that giving Shirley some backup while she tries to get the truth out of this Lamperouge guy tonight is a good idea. So you and I will be around to help if things get dicey."

Rivalz looked him once over. "You just want to hit on girls," he said flatly.

Gino looked nonplussed, shrugging. "We can't all run into hot blonde bombshells at work, you know. Some of us have to go looking."

Rivalz flushed. "It was one time, and I didn't even get her name."

"And that, my dear Rivalz, is why I need to show you the right way to talk to a girl," Gino said simply, arm around his shoulders in a comradely fashion. "It's easy to do, just follow these steps…"

Shirley opened the door before he could continue and rolled her eyes. "You two are idiots, you know that?"

Gino and Rivalz paused, taking her costume in, and Shirley's cheeks went pink and she scowled. "Don't stare."

Her frilly black dress left her pale shoulders bare save for thin straps, the modest skirt reaching just past her knees and nearly meeting her knee-length, orange and black striped tube socks. The key points to her costume were on her head and in her hands- the wide-brimmed, floppy-cone tipped hat and fake toy plastic wand gave her costume's identity away quite easily.

It was, all in all…

"Very cute," Gino said appreciatively, grinning. "A cute witch trying to enchant a prince in hiding. I like the theme."

Shirley scowled again. "It was all I could find. And the wand lets me conceal a knife, just in case." To demonstrate, she pulled out the bottom end, which came out swiftly and revealed a small butterfly knife.

"Practical magic," Rivalz commented, chuckling. "Are you killing Lamperouge or something?"

Shirley said nothing, and Rivalz's eyes widened. "Wait, you're not serious…"

Gino blinked, frowning as he cast a troubled gaze over at Shirley, who visibly shrank. "You didn't tell him?"

"It all depends on him," Shirley asserted firmly, frowning. "I was given orders to, if necessary, terminate him."

"Won't that blow all hell out of your cover? Stabbing somebody is probably against school policy, you know," Rivalz muttered, looking perturbed. "Besides, I like Lelouch."

"The Commander asked you two to come along for precisely that reason. And this isn't about personal feelings, Rivalz," Shirley said scathingly, though her mind briefly flashed to the furious look in the Commander's eyes when she spoke about Lelouch.

She squashed her doubt as soon as it began to arise.

"This is about the cause," she said firmly, and tried to believe it.

00000

"No, you put the punch there, in the center, where it's a little harder to see! How else will someone slip alcohol into it if you don't try to put it somewhere easy to spike!" Kaguya barked, fists planted on her hips, looking like a miniaturized dictator, glaring at the poor workers who were setting up for the party. "And you! I said put the pumpkins in a semicircle, not a triangle!"

"You should have joined the military, Kaguya-san," Kallen said from behind her, smiling. "You could teach my brother a bit about barking orders."

"Ah, Kallen-chan, Suzaku-kun! You're wearing the costumes! You look even better than I hoped!" Kaguya said cheerfully, examining both her and Suzaku with a critical eye, seemingly pleased with her choices.

"And you, Kaguya… what are you wearing?' Suzaku blinked, looking over his cousin's outfit with a confused look.

"Don't you like it?" Kaguya chirped, twirling on the spot to show off her costume. It looked similar to what Suzaku remembered was called a nun's habit, only pure white instead of black, patterned with gold stripes and a matching white and gold veil that framed Kaguya's face perfectly. The costume's skirt practically touched the floor, and overall gave off a very chaste and pure impression. "I think it looks quite nice on me!"

"No it looks nice, I just assumed your costume would be more… flashy," Suzaku said delicately, shrugging and deciding to change the topic instead. "Everything looks just about ready."

"Just waiting for my guests of honor to arrive," Kaguya commented, smiling widely. She peered behind them. "Ah, Lelouch-kun! C.C.-chan! Just in time."

Suzaku smiled as he turned around, meeting Lelouch's gaze warmly. While they couldn't act too friendly with one another in public, just seeing him cheered Suzaku up immensely.

Lelouch's costume was distinctly western- black, polished dress shoes, white slacks and a matching suit jacket that was zipped up halfway to his chest, revealing the dark gray vest, red collared shirt, and dark tie that he wore underneath it. The left lapel of the suit jacket was emblazoned in the pattern of a golden eagle wing, with the opposite lapel dotted with buttons.

Lelouch bowed at the waist perfectly a second after meeting Suzaku's gaze. "My prince," he said politely. "It is an honor as always to have you at our school."

"Thank you, Lamperouge-san. It is a pleasure to be here," Suzaku said in reply, and inclined his head towards C.C in greeting, whose face remained impassive.

For some reason, Lelouch's mysterious female companion had never really warmed up to him in the few times they had spoken. When Suzaku had mentioned it to Lelouch, he had merely shrugged and said that was her way.

C.C. was wearing an outfit that seemed very complimentary to Lelouch's, dressed in a black, flowing ball gown that stretched down to her ankles which was lined with gold, save for the ruffles around her wrists and neckline, which were purest white. A small pink ribbon rested upon her chest, where the gown's colors were a darker maroon than black. Her green hair was done up in a bun, and she held an elongated pipe between two fingers.

"Ah you did go with my suggestion!" Kaguya said happily, clapping her hands delightedly as she ran up to C.C., clasping the older girl's hands in her own. "It looks so great on you!"

"Mmm, well, playing a witch suits me I suppose," C.C. said softly, chuckling. "And the costume wasn't too crazy for the boy."

Lelouch scowled and adjusted his tie before he glanced over at Kallen. For a moment, his expression was troubled, and then faded into a smile. "Kallen-san. Your costume suits you."

"Lelouch-kun," Kallen greeted. "Thank you."

Kaguya gave Suzaku and Lelouch a knowing look, and said loudly, "Come along, C.C.-chan, Kallen-chan. Let's go get freshened up before our dance!"

And with that, she dragged the two older girls away, leaving Lelouch and Suzaku alone.

With a casual hand signal, Lelouch gestured over to the open air balcony on the second floor, and the two walked up the stairs and out the doors in silence.

As they walked, Lelouch glanced around, marveling at how many resources Kaguya had put in to create this building. It was, nominally, the Student Recreation Center, a large, two storied palace of a place which held several small rec rooms including a weight room and an arcade room, plus the massive ballroom within which they were holing the Halloween Ball.

The ballroom had a wide, sprawling wood floor, with an upper balcony level that allowed people to watch the dance floor from above, and several open-air balconies on that second floor for privacy (Lelouch had heard that students often used the balconies for 'illicit' activities-C.C. took a special delight in ambushing poor couples by stepping out onto the balcony).

The ballroom was often rented out to visiting dignitaries and such for large dinners and brought more revenue to the school than Lelouch would have ever guessed when it was first created.

It was these sorts of things that made Lelouch actually respect Kaguya, to an extent.

As they stepped out into the open air and Lelouch shut the door, Suzaku finally spoke.

"How've you been, Lelouch?" Suzaku peered over at him. "You look a little tired."

Most people would have been fooled by the placid, smiling exterior that Lelouch showed off, but there were some few telltale signs that made Suzaku believe something was amiss.

"Just some stress preparing for the ball," Lelouch lied, shaking his head. "And you're one to talk. I hear you've been all but running yourself ragged."

Suzaku shrugged, hoping none of his guilt over his lies would come off on his face. Lelouch was the smartest person he knew, and probably knew him as well as Kallen. "Its par for the course I suppose. Things are pretty tense right now."

"Jinchuu, the Federation, and now this whole escaped prisoner business," Lelouch commented, feeling terse himself just from talking about it. His voice took an unnaturally bitter note in regards to the last matter, feeling his own responsibility for that escape.

Suzaku, however, misinterpreted it as mixed feelings over his brother's escape, unsure whether to be happy that Clovis had escaped a lifetime of imprisonment or angry that his siblings were continuing to sow problems in the country.

"Look, don't worry about any of that stuff, Lelouch," Suzaku said reassuringly, gripping his friend's shoulder and squeezing once before letting go. "Let me worry about that stuff. You just live your life."

Lelouch opened his mouth, closed it, and the finally turned away and sighed. "I suppose we should drop this matter anyway. Kaguya-san would be pretty upset if we only talked of maudlin things at a party."

Suzaku chuckled. "Fair enough." He gave Lelouch a grin. "I see C.C.-san roped you into a date."

"Not much choice there," Lelouch said defensively, crossing his arms. "I would have to sleep with one eye open if I slighted her."

He eyed Suzaku and then said casually, "Besides, you're taking Kallen-san, aren't you. I'm not the only one being roped into things."

"Just as friends," Suzaku stated flatly, rolling his eyes. "This engagement thing isn't exactly a dream."

Lelouch shrugged, giving Suzaku one of his patented 'I-know-more-than-you-so-listen-up' looks that had irritated him to no end as a child. "That's a little unfair to Kallen-san, don't you think? I mean, you could do worse. At least you two are friends."

"True, I guess it's better than getting married to a total stranger," Suzaku agreed reluctantly, shaking his head. "It's just that having my future decided for me isn't exactly what I want."

"You're a prince. You can't live like a normal person," Lelouch reminded him, somewhat sternly. "You're responsible for a lot more than just yourself."

"Now who's getting maudlin?" Suzaku said jokingly, rolling his eyes. "You'd make a better prince than me."

Lelouch shrugged, with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "That me is long dead, Suzaku. Only one of us here is a prince anymore."

Before either could continue the conversation, the door opened and Kaguya stuck her head out through the door.

"Oi, you two!" Kaguya shouted, grinning. "Enough with the boy time! You're keeping some very lovely ladies waiting you know!"

Suzaku and Lelouch shared a grin as they shook their heads.

"This'll be fun, I think," Lelouch murmured.

* * *

Author's Notes

Let's play spot the costume! Two points per character. Most points wins some arbitrary prize!

This chapter I cut short this time because it was only halfway done and already this long. Thankfully this last scene provided a good place to stop, and then we can have the real dance begin next chapter.

Also, goddamn you and your stupid share buttons. Its making all my quotes shift to the left. And I apologize because this chapter should not have taken as long as it did, except that I started playing Minecraft and subsequently became consumed.


	18. Chapter 17: To Make Kings and Vagabonds

_If you're listening,  
Sing it back,  
And I'm still running away,  
I won't play your hide and seek game,_

_I was spinning free,_  
_With a little sweet and simple numbing me_

_What a dizzying dance,_  
_Ah ah ah, this sweetness will not be concerned with me_

"Sweetness", Jimmy Eat World

Chapter 17

To Make Kings and Vagabonds

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!" Kaguya chirped, gesturing widely. She stood behind a raised podium, looking out over the sea of faces that made up tonight's guests. "On behalf of the Sumeragi Academy, I am pleased to present our honored guests- my esteemed cousin, Kururugi Suzaku, and his lovely bride-to-be, Kouzuki Kallen!"

The roar of applause seemed to enthrall and invigorate Kaguya as she gestured over to Suzaku and Kallen, who put on their best smiles and kept up a polite façade.

"As our guests of honor for this evening, I would invite my honored cousin and his bride to lead us in the first dance," Kaguya announced, inclining her head towards them, and then making a quick gesture towards the live band she had positioned on one of the upper balconies.

Suzaku frowned, and whispered discretely, "Did you know she was going to make us do that?"

Kallen shook her head ever so slightly. "You know her."

The gaze of the crowd was on them, and even Suzaku could recognize a losing battle. With an inward sigh, he extended an arm out to Kallen, who took it gracefully as they stepped out onto the floor.

"Now then, everyone get your partners, and let's have some fun!" Kaguya cheered, and the crowd burst into applause.

The distinctly Brittanian music began to play, all strings and piano. The song sounded vaguely familiar to Suzaku, but he couldn't place it. He had apparently spent too much time trying to listen to the music, however, as Kallen hurriedly elbowed him, reminding him that they were supposed to dance.

Suzaku led her through the dance, one hand around her waist and the other on her arm, wondering briefly if Kallen knew how to dance in the Brittanian style (his own knowledge was based on being taught during his brief stay in Brittania- Euphie in particular demanded he practice with her constantly).

However, Kallen moved fluidly in step with him, and in fact moved correctly at one point where he made a misstep, guiding him back into line as easily as breathing.

Kallen flicked a glance at him, sensing his surprise, and whispered softly, "My dad taught me. I had him dance with me every time he came to visit."

Her face was inches from his own when she spoke, her breath tickling his chin as she tilted her head upwards, and they both realized their closeness and moved back slightly, sharing an embarrassed smile.

The moment felt so natural, so utterly normal to their friendship that Suzaku suddenly realized how much not really speaking with each other for an entire month had been affecting him.

The last time they had really shared a smile and a quiet laugh felt so long ago that it scared him a little.

"I missed that," Suzaku said quietly, without thinking. "Being able to smile with each other."

She said nothing, and he pressed on, "Look, I was out of line before, when we spoke after the attack on Dudley. I shouldn't have let my anger get the better of me. I'm sorry."

He bowed his head in apology, wondering what her expression must be like in that moment.

After a moment, Kallen spoke softly.

"I was scared, you know."

She said it almost casually, and Suzaku froze.

"When they told me the factory had blown up, and that Jinchuu had left his mark… Emperor preserve, I thought you were dead Suzaku. That Jinchuu had found you and killed you himself," Kallen said softly.

Suzaku swallowed, throat tight. He knew there had never been a danger, but to Kallen… his double life affected more than just himself, he reminded himself.

_ If I told Kallen… I mean… she's known me even longer Lelouch… _than Suzaku began to think, but stopped himself. _She's a Sword of the Emperor- of my father's. She swore an oath to him, and it would break Kallen to make a choice between her family's honor and me._

Studying his childhood friend with her confession still so fresh in his mind, Suzaku considered her well. Kallen was so straightforward, especially for a Japanese girl- she spoke her mind, preferred brash action over demure subtlety, and was as doggedly loyal a friend as anyone could ask for. To her, his deception would be nothing short of the grossest kind of betrayal.

But she had never seen what Suzaku had seen. Never felt responsible for the destruction of an entire country, the suffering of a people.

He couldn't tell her his secrets- she would never understand.

"I'm sorry," Suzaku said simply, shaking his head, knowing she would never fully understand why he said that, and would only assume he was trying to understand her feelings.

"It's not your fault, I guess… I'm just so tired of things being out of my control. We keep losing to this Jinchuu guy, and the Federation is creeping up behind us, ready to strike…" Kallen trailed off, offering him a wan, tired smile. "This is probably just stress from being in this stupid kimono."

Suzaku tried to manage a sympathetic smile.

"Kallen, you're one of my best friends. I love you. Nothing is ever going to change that fact," Suzaku said softly, as the soft tones of the music lulled, preparing to rise back up in a crescendo. "No matter what happens in the future, I'll always be your friend."

"You love me?" Kallen suddenly grinned impishly as she moved away from him. "Is that right?"

Suzaku flushed, realizing what he had just said. "I… you know what I meant. As friends. I've known you all my life and we've been through so much and… and… Emperor, you are never letting this go, huh."

"Oh I do know what you mean," Kallen said in a sing-song voice, "You_ love_ me. You said it. Can't take it back."

Suzaku tightened his grip ever so slightly, just enough that it was a light pinch, and Kallen squeaked and glared at him.

"You still can't take a joke," Kallen muttered, rolling her eyes.

"And you still know how to annoy me," Suzaku shot back, grinning.

_Tomorrow I can think about the war,_ Suzaku decided, his heart light._ Tonight, I just want to be with my friends. _

00000

"Don't they make a lovely couple," C.C. commented, smiling with hooded eyes as she glanced back from Suzaku and Kallen to him.

"They match each other well," Lelouch agreed, holding her in his arms as they too moved along with the music. He was surprised at how well they danced to the foreign music- Suzaku had never been too interested in learning how to dance, though Euphie had all but bullied him into it.

"But not as well as us, right Lulu?" C.C. teased, leaning into him slightly, just enough to brush her chest against his.

His grip on her faltered as he flushed, and C.C. laughed openly, shaking her head.

"Way too easy," she murmured, resuming her previous position. "You're dancing quite well though, so I suppose I'll forgive it."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Lelouch said softly, a faint smile on his face. "Given your experience.

C.C. sniffed and stepped pointedly on his toes. "It's not nice to discuss a lady's age."

Lelouch hissed and clenched his jaw- C.C.'s costume thankfully did not have pointed heels.

The music faded, and Lelouch moved to take his hands away, but C.C. fixed him with a look.

"Oh no, you're not done yet, boy," C.C. said huskily, smirking.

Lelouch sighed. "This is payback, isn't it?"

C.C. smiled sweetly in response. The music began to play again, louder and with a faster beat.

"I don't know how to dance to this," Lelouch admitted reluctantly, frowning.

"Just follow my lead and try not to mess up," C.C. responded immediately, chuckling.

Though he didn't particularly care for the idea, Lelouch did as he was bid, mirroring C.C.'s movements as best he could. Partway through the song, he had the pattern down, and was moving in sync with C.C., though he felt his breath begin to come harder and a bead of sweat ran down his neck at the pace.

"You're a surprisingly good dancer, you know," C.C. commented, somewhat breathlessly, as the song came to a close. "All that courtly training wasn't wasted on you, I suppose."

"I'm glad it impresses you," Lelouch said dryly. "Have you extracted enough from me or would you like another dance, milady?"

He performed a mock bow as he finished speaking, a crooked smile on his face.

"That will do enough for now, I suppose," C.C. replied, raising an eyebrow. "I'm a bit thirsty. Fetch me a drink. And one for Kaguya too, I suppose. She's probably thirsty."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Yes, your highness."

00000

"This is one fancy shindig," Gino drawled, whistling in appreciation as he glanced around the ballroom with wide eyes.

"We're not here for fun, boss," Shirley muttered, elbowing him in the ribs sharply.

Neither Gino or Rivalz said anything to the reprimand, though they shared a grin behind her back.

"Ah, Shirley-san, Rivalz-kun! Glad to see you two made it," Lelouch greeted, appearing through the crowd with a friendly smile, holding two clear plastic cups filled with punch.

Gino studied Shirley's target with curious eyes. Knowing that he was one of the Imperial line, Gino could sort of see the family resemblance to his father- the shape of the eyes in particular. Gino had only met the Emperor once, during his older brother's court debut, but the impression he had gotten had stuck with him all these years.

Charles Zi Brittania was a titan of a man, larger than life, utterly removed from any kind of human warmth. When he spoke it was the booming voice of authority made flesh, and Gino had never seen him smile once that night.

Unlike the stern, commanding presence of the Emperor, Lelouch seemed friendly enough, but there was an almost exaggerated caution in his movements, as though the prince was afraid he might hurt someone. A son afraid to hurt someone born from the man who had worn power like a second skin around him. Very strange.

_This is the prince we might have to assassinate tonight,_ Gino thought to himself, as Lelouch turned towards him.

"I don't believe we've met," Lelouch said slowly, holding out his hand. "Lelouch Lamperouge."

"Ah… Jack. Jack Simon," Gino lied swiftly as he shook his hand, using one of his numerous aliases that the BLF had created for him. "I'm an old friend of Rivalz and Shirley here. They invited me along to see their school and try to convince me to enroll."

"Well I hope you enjoy tonight, Simon-san," Lelouch said pleasantly, smiling slightly. "The Sumeragi Academy is always happy to welcome new students. If you need anything, please let myself or anyone else on the Student Council know."

Shirley, meanwhile, had been fixatedly staring at Lelouch, obviously trying to figure out a way to get him alone so they could ask him some questions without anyone interrupting.

Rivalz took care of that, however, cheerfully grasping Lelouch on the shoulder and saying loudly, "Oi, Lelouch-kun! Shirley here wanted to show her thanks for taking care of her all this time!"

Lelouch and Shirley both looked taken aback, though Shirley turned her head in seeming embarrassment to avoid betraying her surprise.

"Yeah," Gino chimed in, sensing what Rivalz intended, "You owe Lamperouge here a dance at least, huh Red?"

Shirley blinked. "I…"

Lelouch shrugged, smiling still. "I wouldn't be opposed, I guess…" he trailed off, looking at Shirley questioningly. "Is that really what you want, Shirley-san?"

"Y-yeah," Shirley forced out, nodding quickly. "I do owe you, after all."

Lelouch smiled. "Then I'm looking forward to it."

"Yoo hoo! Lelouch-kun!" A dark haired young girl popped her head out from behind the crowd, waving energetically. "Where's that punch!"

Lelouch bowed his head apologetically. "I appear to be needed elsewhere for now. But I'll be sure to take you up on your offer later, Shirley-san."

00000

As he left, Gino grinned and muttered, "He's a pretty popular guy, huh? You got a lot of competition, Red."

Shirley scowled. "It's not like that. And I could have found a better way to corner him than tricking him into a dance, you know."

"Gotta use your feminine wiles sometime," Rivalz said, shrugging. "Besides, what else were you going to do? Ambush and drag him off?"

Shirley flushed. "I would have come up with a better plan."

"Yeah, yeah," Rivalz said disbelievingly, walking towards the table of refreshments while still keeping his eyes on Shirley. "You know Shirley, sometimes I have trouble remembering you're a-"

He accidentally bowled into someone as he spoke, interrupting his sentence and nearly knocking the other person over.

"Ah, I'm sorry-" Rivalz apologized quickly, before his throat got caught as his gaze caught and met a pair of gorgeous blue eyes.

His mouth went dry.

_It's her._

"That's alright," she said cheerfully, brushing herself off, before giving him a curious look. "Are you okay? I didn't think we collided that hard, did we?"

His mind screamed at his body to move, his mouth to say something, anything that would catch her attention. As he scrambled to think of something, he took in her appearance.

Strikingly, she was wearing what was unmistakably a male butler outfit- dark, pressed slacks and a matching suit jacket, with a red lapel and white undershirt. Completing the ensemble was a red ribbon tied around her neck collar.

After a while, her eyes widened in recognition.

"Ah, it's you!"

The blonde from Malory's gave him a winning smile that made his heart do a reasonable impression of a drum roll. "Your name was… Rivalz, right?"

_Oh my God she remembered my name_. Rivalz could have died right then and there and been happy.

"Rivalz, hey, who's your friend?" Gino said cheerily, arm wrapping around Rivalz's shoulder as he pulled the other boy close, giving the girl a wide, friendly smile.

Hearing his leader's voice shook him back into reality, and he realized that not only was the gorgeous blonde from before right in front of him, she was also a link to the mysterious Jinchuu.

"She's a friend of our… mutual acquaintance," Rivalz said quickly, hoping that both Gino and the girl would understand his meaning. When Gino blinked and gave him a helpless look, he added, "She's the one who passed along that message about Dudley."

Gino's eyes widened in disbelief, eyes flicking rapidly between the blonde who had immediately garnered respect from him to Rivalz, waiting for a reaction.

The blonde gave them both a winning smile and winked. "Now now, I don't think we should make a big deal about this… Gino-san."

Rivalz blinked in surprise and felt a small chill run down his spine as his estimation of the blonde jumped up several more notches. She had no way of really knowing Gino's name, but she had quickly guessed it via pure intuition.

"Of course, miss…" Gino smiled tightly, waiting for an answer.

"Milly," came a new voice, soft and pleasant, and another girl stepped into view. "There you are."

The blonde froze just for a second, obviously caught, and then sighed. Just before the other girl came over, she said softly, "My friend is uninvolved. Leave her alone, and we'll talk later."

And then her face changed, all bright and sunny smiles as she turned around. "Sorry about that, Euphie. Just saying hi to a few friends."

Euphie turned out to be a girl just as striking as Milly, dressed in a long hemmed white dress with a modest neckline, holding a classic wicker picnic basket in one hand, with a long red cloak tied around her neck that reached down to her ankles and forming a red hood over her head, allowing her pink hair to frame her face perfectly.

"Well, it was a pleasure seeing you again," Milly said formally, bowing slightly. "Come along Euphie."

"Well forgive me for being forward, miss, but I'm sure my friend Rivalz here couldn't possibly live without at least one dance," Gino said quickly, reaching out to touch her arm before she could leave, and Rivalz choked audibly.

"Oh you son of a bitch," Rivalz swore, and was about to whirl on Gino when his eyes met Milly's.

She stood there, giving him a once over, and he wilted under her gaze, shifting uncomfortably.

"Find me later and we'll see," she said lightly, eyes twinkling in amusement, leaving Rivalz a stupefied mess until well after she had disappeared into the crowd.

00000

"Who were those people, Milly?" Euphemia questioned curiously.

"Ah, just some people I usually see around town who I've gotten to know a little," Milly replied easily. Inwardly, she felt strangely intrigued- three members of the BLF were here (she guessed that the girl was also one of them), alongside her master. Was he the target?

"That one boy seemed to like you a lot," Euphemia said teasingly, smiling.

Milly blinked, shaken from her thoughts as she gave Euphemia an amused look.

"Well, look at you. Someone's lively," Milly said, chuckling. "And he was cute enough, I suppose, in a dorky sort of way."

The two of them giggled at that, until Milly came to a stop, spotting Suzaku just off in the distance.

"Let me just tell Suzaku-sama we're coming so he knows not to be surprised, alright?" Milly said quickly, smiling brightly for Euphemia, who nodded in somewhat confused agreement.

Milly made her way through the crowd easily until she was right behind Suzaku. Idly noting how ridiculously easy it was to sneak up on the Crown Prince of the Empire of all people, Milly grinned mischievously and tapped him on the shoulder.

"My lord, can I trouble you for a dance with this humble maiden?" Milly said faux politely, bowing her head.

Suzaku blinked once and then laughed loudly, shaking his head. "You scared me. I almost didn't recognize you Milly."

"I'll take it my impression is quite passable then," Milly said laughingly, shaking her head. "Where are the others?"

"The girls went off somewhere," Suzaku replied, shrugging carelessly. "Lelouch was called off on Student Council business."

"Well that's convenient. Come with me," Milly said brusquely, smirking as she all but dragged Suzaku away.

"Where are we going…" Suzaku began, trailing off as Milly abruptly shoved him towards a girl in a red hood.

"I'm so sorry miss!" Suzaku apologized embarrassedly, fixing Milly with an annoyed look. "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright," came a familiar voice, and a pair of familiar eyes peeked out from under the hood.

"Euphie!" Suzaku whispered in surprise, glancing around warily. "I hardly recognized you."

"And that, my master, is the point," Milly said, sounding utterly pleased with herself. "I told you I could make it work. As long as she has the hood up, who's going to know who she is?"

"I…" Suzaku sighed helplessly. "I guess you were right."

"It's okay for me to be here, right?" Euphemia questioned, and Suzaku tried to smile reassuringly.

"Yeah, it's alright. You do need to experience more than just the mansion," Suzaku said quickly, nodding.

"Well, now that that's settled," Milly continued, grinning. "I asked you for a dance, but I suppose I'll let Euphie cut in instead."

Suzaku and Euphemia both blinked, glancing first at Milly and then at one another, their cheeks distinctly red.

"Oh, go on and have some fun," Milly said cheerily, all but shoving the two of them towards the dance floor.

00000

Euphemia stumbled into his chest and Suzaku grunted, steadying her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Damn it Milly, always doing stuff impulsively," Suzaku muttered, rolling his eyes. "Are you okay?"

Euphemia smiled. "Yeah, just lost my balance, that's all. Shall we dance?"

Suzaku smiled back and nodded, holding out his hand. Despite his misgivings about having her here, he really was happy to see Euphemia looking much better than how he found her just a few short months ago.

"Thank you for letting me come tonight," Euphemia said softly, gazing up at him from beneath the red hood as they danced.

Suzaku blinked. For some reason, the words grated him.

"Look, I know you technically work for me and everything, but you don't need my permission to go out and do things. I was just… worried, that's all," Suzaku said apologetically, bowing his head. "I forget that you need to live your own life."

"I'm not upset about it!" Euphemia assured him quickly, looking panicked. "I know that you're only trying to help me. I mean, you've done so much for me already, it seems amazing that you'd be willing to let me put you at risk like this at all."

Suzaku chuckled. "That's definitely the old you. Always willing to think about others before yourself."

Euphemia's cheeks went pink, and she giggled. "I sound like a pretty impressive person then, hmm?"

"You were something," Suzaku agreed, nodding along as they twirled along with the music. "I remember when I first arrived in Brittania, everybody else was too scared of my father and my status as a prince to speak with me like a normal person. Everyone but you."

Euphemia's smile seemed to deepen, and she leaned in closer, her grip tightening eagerly. "Really?"

Suzaku nodded again. "You treated me like a person. I never forgot that." His eyes softened. "Being able to help you like this makes me happy- I can pay you back for all your kindness."

The conversation fell off after that, both of them just smiling at the other, letting the music fill the gap with a sweet, gentle harmony that echoed the warm, unnamed feeling that surrounded them.

As the music began to drift away, Suzaku realized something.

"Wait, Euphie… who taught you to dance?"

Euphemia blinked, glanced down, and her eyes widened. "Oh…"

Suzaku laughed as some hidden fear of his faded. "You still remember. Somewhere in you, the old you is still in there. The fact that you still know how to do certain things, like dancing, proves that." His expression was soft, full of warm memories. "You always did love dancing."

"I love dancing," Euphemia repeated quietly to herself, still gazing at her feet. After another moment, she smiled. "How about that."

00000

"Where did he run off to?" Kallen muttered, blinking as she gazed around the densely packed ballroom, trying to spot Suzaku.

"Lose someone?" came an amused voice, as Lelouch emerged from the crowd. He held out a cup, which Kallen took with a roll of her eyes.

"Suzaku disappeared on me," Kallen replied, sipping her punch appreciatively. "Where's your date?"

Lelouch shrugged. "I'm too afraid to ask."

"Well here's to somehow losing our dates," Kallen said, raising her cup in a salute with a grin.

Lelouch raised his own glass as well. A small part of him was thrown off by the friendly expression on Kallen's face, given that the last time they had 'spoken' he had been in his Rei persona and she had been all but gloating at his abject failure.

A small price, he supposed, for a secret identity.

"Cheers," he said, forcing a chuckle. "So, judging from your faces earlier, it looks like you two made up?"

Kallen smiled slightly. "Yeah. It all seems kind of stupid now, to have been fighting like that."

"I'm glad," Lelouch said quietly, sounding relieved. "Life's too short to waste on petty fights."

"Bit dramatic," Kallen noted wryly, raising an eyebrow. "You sound like a bad shoujo manga or something."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow right back and Kallen flushed a little. "Not that I read shoujo manga."

"Unfortunately Kaguya already mentioned loaning you her collection a while back already. No secrets with the princess, remember?" Lelouch assured her, grinning. "Besides, what's the harm? I won't tell Suzaku, promise."

"It's just embarrassing, you know?" Kallen muttered, crossing her arms. "I grew up in the military. That kind of girly stuff is…"

"What girls your age are supposed to like, which is nothing to be ashamed of," Lelouch interrupted, chuckling. "It's actually quite charming, you know."

Kallen's cheeks went pink, and she met Lelouch's gaze unsteadily. "Hey, you have your own date. Don't go hitting on me," she warned, rolling her eyes.

Lelouch flushed as well. "I didn't… alright, that was not what I intended. I just meant that you shouldn't be ashamed of being who you are."

"Well, that's funny coming from you," Kallen said wryly, and Lelouch had the grace to look somewhat abashed.

"This and that are completely different things," Lelouch responded evasively, frowning. As he spoke, however, his mind wandered to the last person who prodded him about his heritage- her father.

_ "Whatever darkness you carry, do not drag my daughter down with you when those sins inevitably catch up to you."_

Coughing awkwardly, trying to disguise the expression on his face as Matthew Stadtfeld's last warning returned to his mind, Lelouch asked quietly, "Are you still set on finding a way to reunite your family?"

Kallen blinked, looking thrown at the sudden change in topic, before she responded, "Of course. I know I can do it." She peered at him quizzically. "Why are you asking about my father?"

"It's ah… nothing. Sorry I asked," Lelouch said quickly, averting his gaze.

Kallen continued to bore into him with a fixed expression, before a light of understanding came into her eyes. "Is this about… you know…" she leaned in and whispered, "Your brother?"

Lelouch blinked, and it took him a moment to understand exactly what Kallen was getting at. "Oh… no, it's not like that," he tried to assure her, but Kallen pressed in, putting her hand on his arm comfortingly.

"It's alright to be relieved that your brother escaped. I mean, it's not exactly something I'd like to see you celebrating, but he's still your family. I understand if you have mixed feelings about it," Kallen said quickly, trying to be as reassuring as possible.

"My brother deserved to go to jail. He nearly killed hundreds of people," Lelouch responded flatly, shrugging off her hand, suddenly irritated. "My only feelings on that matter are that the person in charge is at fault."

His anger, of course, was directed at himself, at his own incompetence for underestimating Cornelia and letting the reappearance of the _Amalthea_ rattle him.

"Now that sentiment I can agree with," Kallen said darkly, nodding. "That guy…"

She trailed off, remembering that the existence of Rei was a secret within the military.

"Do you not like whoever was in charge of that operation?" Lelouch asked, raising an eyebrow. His lip twitched ever so slightly, as he thought about the absurdity of asking Kallen about her irritation towards his alternate persona.

"He's a right bastard," Kallen spat. "Good men died on his watch. If I had my way he never would have been involved."

"Everybody makes mistakes," Lelouch said softly, feeling decidedly odd at having to defend himself in such an abstract manner.

"But the kinds of people who make those mistakes should not be in charge of a military operation," Kallen responded instantly, frowning. "I just… I hate the way my brother is running things right now. I guess even with me and Suzaku reconciling I still have things on my mind."

She shrugged, offering Lelouch a wan, tired smile. "Sorry, I always seem to end up telling you all my problems. You didn't come here tonight for my issues."

Lelouch smiled back comfortingly. "Please. I'm happy to listen. You're trying to change the empire, setting an example that I could only dream of. If I can be this tiny support for someone like you, then I'm happy."

Kallen seemed taken aback by his sudden profession, and her smile seemed to gain strength. "You know Lelouch Lamperouge… if someone like you was in charge, I think things would be better."

At that, Lelouch deflated, but he did his best to keep smiling.

"Maybe," he lied.

Before they could continue their conversation, another voice cut in.

"Ah, Lelouch-san…" Shirley called out quietly, approaching them demurely. "Is now a good time?" She bowed politely to Kallen. "Sorry to intrude, Kallen-sama."

Kallen gave him an amused look, and Lelouch flushed.

"Y-yes, I suppose." Lelouch held out his hand, putting on a smile. "After you then, milady."

Shirley hesitated visibly, before finally placing her hand in his.

00000

Jeremiah Gottwald had the night off.

That, in itself, was so foreign to him that he actually spent several hours just going through the normal routines of closing the shop, cleaning the house, and preparing dinner for three before he even realized that fact.

After finishing the meal and packing up the sizeable leftovers into neatly marked containers for both C.C. and Lelouch, cleaning the dishes, and putting everything away, he looked at the clock and found that it was barely eight.

And that was why he found himself wandering into a local bar, seating himself comfortably facing the door (old military habit), giving polite nods and greetings to the various people he recognized from around the neighborhood. It was an all Brittanian establishment, and the air was fairly relaxed.

"Well, here's a rare sight. Your charges let you have the night off, Jeremiah?" called out one of the older men, John, grinning from down the bar.

"They're growing up," Jeremiah replied easily, shrugging as he signaled the bartender. After making his order, he sipped quietly at his beer, savoring the taste.

"Ah, yes. I remember when that boy of yours was just a wee thing," the bartender commented, sounding nostalgic. "Guess he's about ready to leave the nest."

A very small part of Jeremiah bristled at the bartender for calling his prince a "wee thing", but, as always, he reminded himself that such petty things were unimportant. The greater part of him considered the comment more carefully.

He had heard stories about other knights who had served their lieges since childhood, growing with their charges until they were a mixture of mentor and servant. And there was a line, Jeremiah knew, between protecting his master and allowing his master to grow.

Right now Lelouch was on the cusp of manhood, finally starting to make his mark on the world in the way that Jeremiah always knew he would. But Jeremiah himself still had lingering doubts about this path, and its immense danger to his charge. By putting himself out there under a false name and a mask, he had effectively isolated himself from everyone but C.C., Kouzuki Naoto, and himself. His erstwhile allies could turn on him at any moment, especially if Kouzuki was ever incapacitated.

And there was only so much Jeremiah could do to protect him if both the Japanese military and the Brittanian rebels were to come gunning after him.

"He is at that," Jeremiah said reluctantly, finally replying with a terse sigh.

John reached over and clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "I had a boy and a girl, both of 'em grown up. I went through the same thing. It isn't easy."

Jeremiah said nothing in reply, drinking deeply instead. He just listened as John kept going on about his son and daughter, both of whom apparently went into the military, and apparently made the rank of Knight as well. It made Jeremiah wonder if he had ever run into them before, at the Academy. It was unlikely he would have encountered them anywhere else, given that nearly the instant he graduated the Academy he was given a post in the Imperial palace as one of Empress Marianne's royal guard.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Jeremiah finally felt compelled to ask, "So, what happened to them?"

"My son? He lives in the city. We still talk. My daughter…" John sighed, looking melancholy. "She disappeared during the invasion. She and her whole unit just… vanished."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Jeremiah said quietly, bowing his head respectfully.

"I believe she's still alive," John assured him, smiling bitterly. "She's a tough girl. Spine of steel. Much like her mother, may God rest her soul. My son though… he's given her up for dead. It's probably why we don't talk as much anymore."

Jeremiah frowned, and upon seeing his expression, John continued, "I don't blame him. Seven years without a word is too long. It probably eases his mind to think she's dead."

John sighed, swirling the alcohol in his glass. "Kewell and Marika were always very close. It devastated him to hear that she had vanished. He blamed their commander… oh, what was his name…"

He tapped a finger against his chin thoughtfully, before he finally exclaimed, "Ah, Bradley, that's right. Luciano Bradley was his name."

00000

Luciano sneezed, rubbing his nose with an annoyed look.

"Damn dust. Someone clean off the guns thoroughly next shipment," Luciano muttered, scowling irritably. He was squatting on a crate in a dark sewer tunnel, holding a rifle in his hands as he leaned against the wall.

"Apologies sir," Marika offered, standing off to the side, though her tone was slightly wry. "The men are almost in position."

"Good. Waiting down here is starting to give me cramps," Luciano muttered, cracking his neck. His eyes rested on the dirty, unpolished metal sign next to the ladder in front of him.

_ Sumeragi Academy Maintenance Staff Only. _

Luciano flicked a glance upwards, and smiled. "Let's crash ourselves a party.

00000

As he asked a barkeep for another round in somewhat awkward French, Naoto supposed it was extremely lucky that his tutors insisted he learn to French as a child. His grammar and vocabulary were passable, but on the other hand his actual ability to speak was quite horrible and it took a few tries before the bartender even understood him.

Technically, he supposed that drinking alone was edging very close to a relapse- before his promotion to Commander, Naoto had sworn off drinking to excess ever again. He had broken that oath already, however, in the aftermath of the Federation's attack, and lately a nightcap had been helping him sleep without troubled dreams.

As the bartender set down the glass in front of him, a hand reached out and placed bills on the counter before Naoto could react.

He turned to see an unfamiliar face, tanned and dark haired and clearly Japanese, who smiled and inclined his head.

"Please commander, it's on me."

Naoto frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met…"

"Ah, sorry sir," the younger man apologized, bowing his head respectfully. "Third Lieutenant Katase Masataka. I'm one of the officers aboard the _Murasaki_."

Naoto blinked, recognizing the family name. "Wait… are you General Katase-san's son?"

"Second son," Masataka admitted, averting his eyes in embarrassment. "Sorry for just approaching you like this, but I recognized you from across the bar and I just couldn't help myself."

Naoto frowned. "Um…"

Masataka flushed deeply, face and neck reddening. "That was poor wording. Let me explain. You're… kind of a hero to me. And to the others like me."

"Others?" Naoto tilted his head to one side, wondering briefly if he'd already had too much to drink. "Hero?"

"Yes, others," Masataka said quickly, eyes bright with excitement. "Don't you know? Amongst our generation, you're a legend. You embody all the changes we want to see made in the empire."

Naoto's face must have betrayed his confusion, because Masataka continued eagerly, "Your reforms, Commander. Don't you know? You're not alone in thinking that the Empire must evolve and incorporate its various peoples into the fold, not just the pure-blooded Japanese."

"I'm…" Naoto shook his head. "Look, you're making it sound like I'm some great advocate of change. I'm really not. I'm just trying to make life easier for me and mine."

"Of course," Masataka agreed, though he did not sound convinced. "Kallen-sama too is a hero, and is our Prince. The three of you are our hope."

"You keep talking as if there are many of you. But if that's true, why are all the changes both myself and Suzaku-sama have made become so unpopular?" Naoto questioned skeptically, crossing his arms.

"Because the previous generation is the one in power. Conservatives like Minister Kirihara and my father hold too much sway, their voices drowning out our own. But we are not alone, commander," Masataka assured him, grinning. "Our generation is different. We think to the future, and our Empire will only survive if we accept and integrate. War will not solve our problems."

Masataka was lost in his own world now, his voice captivated by the ideals he philosophized about. "Our Sakuradite, for example. It is not a renewable resource. Every day Japan has a little less. Did you know, Commander, that in just a century, we will have run out at our currently increasing rate of consumption?"

"You're referring to the Kimigawa Report," Naoto noted, taking a long drink of his glass. He'd read the report himself out of curiosity two years ago. "I take it then you, as a General's son, are also aware that it is forbidden by law to discuss it in public. Only somebody with my level of clearance is allowed to even know it exists, but I assume you've used your father's name to get access."

Masataka flushed yet again, caught. "More attempts by the older generation to subdue the younger. But they can't pretend that our current situation will not last forever. Our Empire is too large to control without properly integrating our subjects and using them to help reinforce our position."

Naoto sighed deeply, bowing his head tiredly. "Look, Lieutenant, I appreciate your admiration. Really. But I've had one exhausting month, and I really don't want to get into a long discussion about the Empire. I just want to sit here, get hammered, and go home."

Masataka's face fell, and Naoto felt a pang of guilt. As he opened his mouth to apologize, however, his eyes caught movement at the entrance of the bar. Without thinking, his hand went to his gun, but it was too late.

The soldiers standing directly at the entrance of the bar had him at point blank range. Five rifles pointed directly at him, and the man standing behind them, clad in an Einherjar uniform, smiled.

"Commander Kouzuki," the man said slowly, his Japanese thickly accented, "My name is Captain Strakhov. I would prefer it if you came with me peaceably."

"And if I decline," Naoto questioned, shaking his head once at Masataka, who looked ready to lunge at the enemy soldiers.

"Otherwise", the captain continued quietly, as his smile turned sharp and edged, "We will have to use force."

Naoto's eyes narrowed as he slowly stood up from his barstool, hands in the air to show he wasn't trying anything.

"I'm here as a guest. Or has Eurasia decided to abandon the common international laws regarding diplomatic emissaries?" he asked coolly, fixing Strakhov with a glare.

Strakhov's smile only widened delightedly. "My Japanese is a little rusty, but how should I say it… there's been a change in management."

A deep rumble echoed through the room, coming from outside, almost like thunder, and Naoto's blood ran cold.

"What is that? An earthquake?" Masataka asked shakily, speaking up for the first time since the Einherjar soldiers had entered the bar.

"That was an explosion," Naoto corrected, not taking his eyes off of the captain. "At the hotel, I assume. Which means…"

"That the honored Senator Dantes is no longer amongst the living," Strakhov finished, looking amused at how quickly Naoto was following the situation.

"So it's a coup," Naoto murmured, finally breaking his gaze. "Then this is where the war really starts. You were just waiting to find out who was on your side and who would have opposed you."

"You are a very intelligent man, Commander," Captain Strakhov complimented, "It's a shame we will never have a chance to cross swords in battle."

He nodded sharply to his men. "Take him. Kill the others."

And with that, Strakhov turned sharply on his heel and left.

00000

They danced in silence through the whole song- Lelouch didn't know exactly what to say, and Shirley was still trying to figure out exactly how she was going to press him for information and, if necessary, dispose of him.

As the band played the closing notes of the song and Lelouch made to let go of her, Shirley's grip tightened and she finally spoke. "Wait. Can you help me outside? I'm feeling a little weak."

Lelouch blinked, but nodded. "Okay. Follow me."

As he led her upstairs, Shirley fiddled with the wand her hands, checking the weight of the knife.

"Here we are," Lelouch said suddenly, and Shirley looked up, and her breath hitched.

Lelouch, smiling gently, amidst a backdrop of stars and dressed impeccably well in his suit, held out his hand again. "Are you feeling better?"

"Ah… yes, much better," Shirley said quickly, refusing to meet his gaze as she brushed past him. "But… I'd like some company, if that's alright."

Lelouch smiled again. "Of course." He leaned against the balcony, his back wide and exposed to Shirley. "It's been a while since you came by for a tutoring lesson. Have your studies been going well?"

"Y-yes. Well enough I suppose. I've felt really weak lately so I've missed a lot of school," Shirley lied quickly. "Thank you for asking."

"Is it the weather?" Lelouch asked curiously. "It has been unusually cold recently."

"It is almost November," Shirley agreed idly, and suddenly she remembered the Bloody Sunday Riots that happened over seven years ago to the day this November. The riots that took her father's life.

The riots that supposedly were caused by Lelouch vi Brittania.

She took a deep breath, and decided to chance her luck. "I hate November. It always… always reminds me of the riots."

Lelouch went very still out of the corner of her eyes, and Shirley knew she had him on the hook. "Was that when you lost your parents too? In the riots?"

Lelouch coughed awkwardly, refusing to meet her gaze. "N-no. They died before that."

"You said it was your fault. What did you mean?" Shirley pressed, and Lelouch fell backwards, against the balcony.

"I… I made a mistake. I…" Lelouch turned away, bracing himself against the balcony railing, head bowed. "I killed them."

"You were just a kid, any mistake you made couldn't really make you a murderer," Shirley offered, waiting to see his reaction.

"No, I…" Lelouch clenched his fists and sighed. "It's nothing. I'm sorry, Shirley-san, but I just don't want to talk about this."

Shirley frowned. She was losing him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pressed you… it's just, I heard something recently that made me think of the riots again." Shirley tightened her grip on her knife. "I heard that all of it could be blamed on one person. That one man was responsible for all of this."

She gestured out towards the London Settlement, to the glistening lights of a city that was no longer theirs. "That this occupation, this invasion… that all those deaths are solely the responsibility of a single individual."

Lelouch's face paled considerably, and the truth of it was in his eyes. Shirley could see it plain as day.

He _was_ the one.

"Lelouch vi Brittania…" Shirley whispered-

And was drowned out by the sound of gunfire.

"What the hell was that!" Lelouch shouted, panicked, brushing past Shirley, who followed suit.

And there, at the center of the ballroom, were a dozen armed Brittanian men and a single woman.

One of them, a spiky-haired redhead, looked vaguely familiar to Shirley, and it was only when Lelouch hissed his name that Shirley recognized him.

"Luciano Bradley," Lelouch spat, sounding horrified.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen!" Luciano Bradley called out loudly, smiling wickedly. "We are… tonight's entertainment."

Author's Notes

This was probably the most challenging chapter I've ever written. And yes, the title does come from the Lion King, if any of you were wondering, and it's because I caught Elton John's show while in Vegas earlier this month.

Big stuff next chapter! Look forward to it.


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